Bandipora, Mar 17: Former Minister and Ex-MLA Bandipora, Usman Majid, has sought a strict and transparent investigation into the alleged overnight damage of a newly constructed tiled pedestrian pathway near Ziyarat Shareef of Subhan Sahib in Gundpora village of Arin block.
The pathway, constructed a few months ago under the 14th Finance Commission to facilitate pedestrians and devotees visiting the shrine, was reportedly damaged and its tiles removed under suspicious circumstances.
Terming the incident a “blatant assault on public money,” Majid alleged that if claims of deliberate destruction to secure fresh development funds are proven, it would amount to organised loot of government resources meant for public welfare.
“Public assets created from taxpayers’ money cannot be treated as disposable material for repeated projects. Dismantling a functional pathway to pave the way for new funds reflects a dangerous culture where development works are manipulated for personal gains,” he said.
He further remarked that such actions expose how certain “black sheep” allegedly treat development schemes as money-making ventures, while many villages still lack basic infrastructure.
“Destroying a functioning public pathway merely to sanction another project at the same site shows how corruption can override responsibility. This shameful act must not go unpunished,” he asserted.
Majid urged the district administration and concerned authorities to conduct a time-bound and transparent inquiry to identify all those involved, whether officials, contractors or other elements.
“Those responsible must be held accountable. The people of Bandipora deserve genuine development, not a cycle of destruction designed to siphon public funds,” he added.
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