Shopian: In a region where cattle-rearing is the main occupation, the incomplete and already decaying building of the veterinary centre at Zawoora village in Shopian district is testimony to the dashed hopes of locals and the apathy of the government. “Under construction” for ten years now, the structure has been left unfinished due to “cost escalation”, say officials.
According to locals, construction of the centre began in 2012. After one storey of the building was completed, the work was stopped, for many years. Pressure from the locals forced the government to take up the work again, and another storey was raised, but left incomplete.
Officials from the animal husbandry department said that the building was not completed even after they raised the issue at higher levels.
Mushtaq Ahmad Wagay, the village Lumberdar, told Kashmir Reader that he knocked on the doors of all higher officials but in vain. “The building has started decaying now. All the money spent on its construction has been wasted by the government because of not completing it on time,” he said, while appealing to higher authorities to intervene in the matter.
According to locals, cattle farmers of a dozen villages are facing problems due to the lack of a veterinary centre in the area. “There are about 5,000 farmers who are primarily dependent on livestock grazing for livelihood,” said Shakir Ahmad Kali, a local.
Villagers said that the area has very little farming or orchard land, which has made cattle rearing the lone source of income.
Muhammad Ayub, Executive Engineer at the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department Shopian, told Kashmir Reader that they have sent a “languishing project” report to the government and are expecting release of funds by March.
“Cost escalation was the reason that work on it was not completed on time,” he said.

Raashid Hassan