Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Dec 23: Nearly two years after its completion, the tourism cafeteria in Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district remains non-functional, much to the disappointment of locals, who see it as a wasted investment.
Residents said the government spent a significant amount of money constructing the cafeteria, located on the lawn of Ziyarat Shareef Ameer-e-Kabeer Mir Sayed Ali Hamadani (RA), but has failed to make it operational.
Shakeel Ahmad, a local resident, said that construction of the cafeteria began in 2017 and was completed in 2022. However, for reasons unknown, it has yet to open for public use.
“If the government invested such a huge amount to construct this facility, why has it been abandoned now?” Shakeel questioned.
Another resident, Shabir Ahmad, expressed frustration over the authorities’ inaction. “If they were not in a position to make it functional, they shouldn’t have taken land from the lawn of the Ziyarat. Wasting public money like this is unacceptable,” he said.
Locals voiced concerns that the abandoned building might become a hub for anti-social activities if left unused. They also pointed out that keeping the cafeteria non-functional is a waste of the state exchequer, which could have been utilized effectively.
“We have raised this issue with the concerned authorities several times, but no action has been taken so far,” said a group of residents.
They urged higher authorities, including the MLA Pulwama, Director of Tourism, and DC Pulwama, to intervene and ensure that the facility is made operational without further delay. (KNO)
