As Modi talks development,Juhapura cries foul

A resident of Sardar Cooperative Group Housing Society, Amina Mansuri,said the road in front of the society was dug up two years ago to provided sewerage facilities to the adjoining Special Operations Group complex. But the road was not repaired thereafter despite several representations with the civic body.

Anwar Sheikh,of Units Hills Society,said that Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation buses used to ply on the NH-8 passing through Juhapura and the locals coming from Rajkot,Patan and Mehtsana used to get down at Juhapura. But the service was stopped after the 2002 riots and the buses now ply through the ISCKON Circle-Shivranjini Road,about five kms from Juhapura. “Is this ‘sadbhavana’ Modi talking about?” said Sheikh,who works as an executive with a private company.

Parvez Saiyed,a local businessman,said that both Juhapura and adjoining Vejalpur started developing together 30 years ago. “While Vejalpur has grown into a posh area with all modern facilities of school,dispensary,parks etc,Juhapura has become a slum with no facilities at all. People here have been left to fend for themselves,” said Saiyed.

Juhapura,according to Saiyed,also does not have potable drinking water facility.

AMC councillor Haji Israr Mirza,when questioned,said he had already taken up the matter of setting up an overhead water tank for Juhapura, but AMC authorities had been avoiding it on one pretext or the other. AMC authorities,according to Mirza,said there was no space available to construct a overhead water tank in the locality.