Jammu, December 23: Jammuites have always been taken for a ride by the ruling elite and the trend continues even as the new political dispensation has taken over as the mess that was left by the previous regimes will take ages to clear.
It was several years back when Sewage Treatment Plant was visualized to be setup at Bhagwati Nagar to treat the water of the city nallahs and stop pollution of river Tawi.
Back then Jammuites were told that once the city drains are connected with the treatment plant their miseries would be over and some time was sought during which the city dwellers would find inconvenience which would a blessing in disguise.
Jammuites as usual thought that they would be contributing their bit towards the development of the city through such programme and happily bore the brunt of dug out city, traffic jams, increasing pollution and bouncy roads waiting for the Sewage Treatment Plant to treat the ills of the city.
But then what they forgot was that it was the promise of politicians who hardly keep their promises on time and having tasted the blood of the VIP culture are ignorant about the miseries of common people that they confront every day due to the follies and lethargy of the political class.
Years have passed by and each and every street and road of the city has been dug up every chowk has been choked, city became the city of potholes, traffic jams threatened Delhi type air pollution but solution was nowhere in sight and the so called Sewage Treatment Plant was still not treating the miseries of Jammuites.
Jammuites have seen almost four chief ministers since then and everyone promised fast track work to clear the choked roads but chief ministers came, chief ministers ruled, chief ministers enjoyed and chief ministers went by but Jammuites continued to suffer and in the process broke their vehicles, bones and their will power besides being inflicted by numerous air borne diseases due to pollution caused by traffic jams in the city.
One wonders what these politicians in power do if they cannot deliver on time and feel the pain of the common man.
Why is it that only common man has to suffer the ills of the society and not the so called VIPs who get clear roads, clean water, regular electricity and of course huge perks besides the cuts on such big projects.
The time demands that the new government takes up the matters of public important on priority basis particularly those which hamper the smooth life of the citizens like congested roads, traffic jams, pollution and dugout streets.
The common man is losing patience and it would not be too far when the man on street actually hits the streets to take on the political class and show them the door. But till then Jammuites shave to suffer as here Sewage gets a treatment plant but the government has no treatment for human beings.