Waiting for Development

Jammu is very rapidly heading towards unprecedented development, this is what
being claimed by the government and is publicized on media. Jammu is a very vast
region spread from Lakhanpur to Banihal, Poonch to Basohli and Paadar-Kisahtwar to
Suchetgarh. Most of the area is mountainous and semi mountainous, while a big portion of
the region comprises of kandi. Only the parts of the region touching Pakistan in the west are agriculturally rich. Jammu city itself is a part of the kandi segment and many areas of the city had to face the problem of irregular supply of drinking water in summer season. Same is the case of power supply during hot summer days. On the road sector though most of the nearby villages, helmets and colonies are linked with the main town though various link roads.
Among these link roads, there are few linked via National Highway, some via State Highways and others via local roads. In the city though all parts and colonies have road communication but there are several areas where any kind of public transport facility is not available to the residents because of the congested roads.
Similarly there are several areas where the condition of roads is as bad as of a pre partition village. Secondly in such areas the availability of public transport is also not at par with the
demand or requirement. Violation of traffic rules in suburban of Jammu city is not uncommon and people have of late now accepted it as a part of their lives. The condition of many roads in the interior of Jammu city is also not much better than the roads of suburbs. However there are few roads which are given a face lift and are repaired or improved after specific intervals but there are several other roads that are treated as the roads of another State and is their responsibility. It is now an established fact that the roads and areas where VIP’s reside or the areas which are frequently visited by the VIP’s are really enjoy the benefits of development while others are made to have patience and wait till indefinite period. What one should say this type of development if not a selective development?