Downtown Hassan Abad elects woman

Shunned for years, this old Srinagar neighbourhood can now look forward to maternal care. Hassan Abad has chosen a 60-year-old lady to represent them in the Srinagar Municipality Corporation.

A widow, Raja Begum, beat her nearest rival by 346 votes. But she is not resting on her laurels and has set her sight on the bad roads and choked drains. ‘‘I want to get the roads repaired and, as a priority, I want a maternity home in the neighbourhood. The water supply is pathetic. My aim is to get safe drinking water to the area,’’ said Begum.

Her father Late Habibullah Khan was a National Conference worker and she has been involved in party affairs right from childhood. She has a degree in Arts and has won various NCC awards. ‘‘I was conferred with a gold medal and Rashtrapathi award in NCC,’’ she said.

Applauding the government’s decision to give 33 pc reservation to women, Begum said: ‘‘This is a good sign as young women can have a say in the policies of the state government.’’