Srinagar, May 22 -- Every day, I travel from Buchpora to Lal Chowk and back, for attending my school, (GGHSS, Kothibagh Srinagar). Traveling an eleven-kilometer one-way distance daily has become a pathetic struggle and a cause of severe dismay to me because of the inadequate, poor quality public transport system available on the route. In fact, while travelling in crowded buses, I often wonder what made Srinagar bag the 'Best City Leader of the Year Award', this year! The award is basically given for providing ease of living to the citizens and for preparing the city to act as an engine of growth. I ask myself- does our city really fall in this category?

The ground realities contradict all such claims and one wonders how such prestigious...