BANI, FEBRUARY 09 :- Despite being officially designated as a block 20 years ago, Duggan in the Bani sub-division of Kathua district still lacks basic government facilities. Local residents are frustrated due to the absence of government offices and officials, which has made their daily lives difficult. They have urged the administration to make government offices operational in Duggan and ensure that officials work from there to provide essential services.
Former Sarpanch Dhani Ram stated that although Duggan was granted block status two decades ago, no government work has started in the area. Due to the lack of offices and administrative facilities, locals have to travel 15 kilometers to Bani for even minor tasks. He further mentioned that while government officials have rented rooms in Duggan, they continue to operate from Bani and rarely visit the area, causing severe inconvenience to the residents. Apart from the Revenue Department, no other department is functioning properly in the block.
Local resident Shehzad Ahmed highlighted the absence of healthcare facilities, saying that people have to travel to Bani even for basic medical treatment, which is extremely challenging.
Another resident, Mohammad Hussain, expressed concern over the region’s prolonged neglect, stating that Duggan’s block status exists only on paper. He emphasized that unless government offices are properly established and basic facilities are provided, the designation holds no real value.
The residents have warned that if government employees do not start working in Duggan by March 31, they will be forced to launch a large-scale protest.
So far, there has been no official response from the administration regarding the issue.
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