Growth Sans Jobs

Kashmir's skyline is changing. From Srinagar's outskirts to the valleys of Baramulla and Anantnag, new buildings are rising at a stunning pace. Glossy advertisements promise "smart homes" and modern gated colonies. Developers from Delhi, Punjab, even Dubai are also looking to invest in what looks, from a distance, like a region on the rise.

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But take a closer look, and the situation isn’t as optimistic as far as the economy goes. These homes, many complete or nearing completion, are largely empty. Entire apartment blocks have one or two caretakers living alone, guarding homes that were never lived in.

What Kashmir is witnessing is a housing boom unanchored to economic realityThe truth is that the unemployment is rampant in the Valley, and it is a crisis that is aggravating by the day.