No VIP guest house, women panel head skips event

RK Kichlu

Ramban, February 23

The VIPs travelling to Ramban are facing inconvenience in the absence of private guest houses.

The situation has become all the more worse with the winding up of the operation by Jaiprakash Industries Limited, civil contractor of the 900-MW Baghlihar Hydel Project at Chanderkot, and the handing over of its guest houses to the J&K State Power Development Corporation, where to date the VIPs used to stay during important meetings or functions.

Today, J&K State Commission for Women chairperson Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor could not attend the second session of a two-day legal awareness programme because no proper guest room was available for her here last night.

“Despite waiting for hours, the district administration could not make proper arrangements for our night stay. So I returned to Jammu. Moreover, my backache was aggravating,” Mahjoor said.

“Though at last, some arrangement was made but it was insufficient,” she added.

However, the women commission staff, including secretary Ajaz Abdullah and PRO Imtiaz Ahmed Wani, had a tough time last night.

“We had to wait four hours in our vehicles till the arrangement for our night stay was made,” Imtiaz said.

According to sources, even Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had to stay at the IRCON Guest House in Banihal, about 45 km from Ramban, during her one-day public outreach programme on October 14 because of the unavailability of a suitable guest house in Ramban or Chanderkot. Although the double-storey Circuit House having three VIP suites and eight special suites has been constructed on the premises of the District Administrative Complex, it could not be used as it is yet to be furnished due to the paucity of funds. Earlier, the Tourist Bungalow of the J&K Tourism Development Corporation was the only place here where the VIP government guests and rich civilians used to stay.