PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday called for a special budget allocation for Srinagar’s downtown area, citing socio-economic challenges, youth unemployment, and a growing mental health crisis.
Speaking during a visit to Shehar-e-Khass, Mufti said residents of the downtown area were facing multiple difficulties and that raising concerns openly had become increasingly difficult.
“We have come here because people of Srinagar’s downtown area are facing many challenges,” she said. “Today, even raising one’s voice has become difficult.”
Mufti highlighted incidents involving shawl sellers and students facing violence and drew attention to young people held as undertrials for extended periods.
She said she had met families whose children were lodged in jails and that legal interventions were being pursued in courts.
“If these Kashmiris are not brought back to local jails, I can approach the Supreme Court,” she added.
She also addressed concerns over mental health and drug abuse among youth, urging that depression be acknowledged and addressed rather than ignored. Mufti noted that such issues should not occur in places like Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress is in power.(KNS).
