Almost half a dozen villages are bearing the brunt in Tehsil Aloosa of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district due to the lack of a functional Patwar Khana at Quil village. According to locals, the building, which was constructed in 1997, suffered damage twice and, despite repairs, remains abandoned and is in a dilapidated state.
Locals said many small hamlets and villages, such as Quil, Turkpora, and Kema, would have benefited from the office due to its central location, but no one seems to “pay any heed,” Shafat Ahmad, a local, said.
Another local mentioned that the building was constructed years before Bandipora was carved out as a separate district from Baramulla. “It is disheartening that the office has been abandoned and remains non-functional and is in a dilapidated condition,” he said, adding, “It is making a lot of people suffer.”
Wahid Shah, a local, said, “I have never seen this building functioning. I am married now, but I recall seeing this building, when I was a school-going child, falling brick by brick.”
Locals said the Parwar Khana, if made functional, will provide a “great relief” to many villagers.