J&K village still waiting for road, hospital pins hopes on the maiden election

HAYAN(KANGAN): “We are still living in the era of 1947 with no development whatsoever,” laments 70-year-old Saif-ud-Din Mir, a resident of Hayan village as he prepares to cast his vote in the DDC polls in J&K on Tuesday. 

Hayan village, only 6 km away from Kangan town in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, still doesn’t have a macadamised road or a healthcare centre. The only high school for 500 students is functioning from tin-shed nine classrooms with no playing ground. 

“No development of the village had taken place before August 5 last year, when Article 370 was abrogated, and no development has taken place even after that. We have been ignored by politicians and respective governments in J&K as if we don’t exist,” Mir says.

He also alleges that National Conference leader and former minister Mian Altaf, who has been winning the Assembly elections from Kangan seat, visited the area only during the campaigning and did nothing for the village.

Mir says he had to beg before a former minister, chief engineer and other officials for sanctioning of a bridge, connecting the village with the main road. He and other villagers, however, are pinning their hopes on the maiden DDC polls for the overall development of the village. “It is our last hope. We hope our representatives will deliver and work for the welfare of people,” adds Mir.

Another local, Javed Ahmed, says the condition of high school is a blot on the face of the J&K government and the education department. Interestingly, eight polling booths have been set up at the school for the DDC election. 

“This school has not been upgraded for decades. Despite being a high school, the authorities have not provided requisite infrastructure (rooms and playing ground) to the school,” he adds.