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9 years on reconstruction of Pahalgam Club still incomplete

SHABIR AHMAD. Dated: 11/8/2013 12:01:02 AM

Officials say HC ban delayed project completion

PAHALGAM, Oct 7: Once considered to be the heritage of this world famous tourist destination, the Pahalgam Club on which the reconstruction work was started eight years back seems to be far from completion. The club was completely damaged in a devastating blaze in 2005 due to the short circuit.
A year later government sanctioned Rs 12 crores for the reconstruction of the club and the project was taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC). Though the project was to be completed within a period of two years but ironically
eight years have passed but construction work of the club seems to far from over.

Official sources and locals said that the slow pace of reconstruction work on the project has caused delay in the completion of the club.
“It is an irony that eight years have passed since the reconstruction work was started but the project seems to be nowhere near completion. The club used to generate huge revenue as most of the tourists would spend their leisure time inside the club. The authorities should have completed the project within the stipulated time keeping in view its importance from the tourism point of view but there seems to be no progress in the reconstruction of the heritage,” said a local social
activist, Mushtaq Ahmad Pahalgami.
He said that the delay in the completion of the project is also telling upon the state exchequer. “The cost of the construction material has escalated drastically during last two years which means that the project cost has gone up too. Had the project been completed within the set deadline it would have been completed at the amount sanctioned for it earlier. So construction agency should speed up the work on the project and complete it without any more delay,”
Pahalgami said.
Another local said that the authorities should direct the construction agency to complete the project sooner than later so that the tourists can again enjoy there in their leisure time by next tourist season.
When contacted, manager JKTDC, Pahalgam, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, said that the high court ban on constructions caused delay in the completion of the project by two years.
“After the ban on constructions in the area we could not continue the construction work. We had to seek permission from the honourable court and then restart the work,” Bhat said.
Another reason for delay, he said, is the inclement weather.
“Since Pahalgam is the cold place and receives heavy snowfall every year. So we can work only for two years,” Bhat said.
He said that there is no paucity of funds that delays the completion of the project.
“The deadline for the completion of the project was 2012 which was later extended up to 2014. We are hopefully completing the project before the deadline. Managing Director is very serious in completion of the project and has paid many visits to see the project,” Bhat said.