Mudasir Maqbool
Pampore Pulwama | Jan 15 : Senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former minister Zahoor Ahmad Mir on Thursday strongly pitched for the creation of a separate district headquarter for Pampore, calling it an urgent administrative necessity rather than a political demand.
He urged the Government of India to take immediate steps to reorganize the existing setup, citing Pampore’s historical importance and its global recognition as Kashmir’s famed “Saffron Town.”
Addressing the issue, Mir said the present administrative arrangement has failed to cater to the aspirations and daily needs of the people, resulting in delays, confusion and unnecessary hardship.
In the wake of the recent delimitation exercise, Mir proposed that Pampore be upgraded to a full-fledged district by merging adjoining areas from Srinagar and Budgam districts that share close geographical, economic and social linkages with the town.
He maintained that such reorganization would bring governance closer to the people and improve service delivery.
Reflecting on past decisions, Mir said the establishment of a Sub District at Awantipora during the previous government was a temporary compromise, chosen primarily due to its central location between Tral and Pampore. However, he stressed that post delimitation realities and Pampore’s expanding population and economy have rendered this arrangement inadequate.
Pending a final decision on district status, Mir pressed for the immediate deployment of an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in Pampore Tehsil for at least two to three days a week. He said this interim step would help clear administrative bottlenecks and provide much needed relief to residents.
“Pampore is not merely a town; it is a major economic and cultural hub of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mir asserted.
“The government must acknowledge the genuine hardships faced by the people and ensure that administrative boundaries become instruments of development, not obstacles to progress.”he said
The PDP leader expressed hope that the Centre would give due consideration to the long pending demand and act in the larger public interest.
