Srinagar, July 25 -- By Lt Gen. R. S. Reen

For nearly 2,000 years, Baramulla has stood at the gateway to the Kashmir Valley. Today, almost anyone who lives here can tell you what's gone wrong.

Roads around Main Chowk are riddled with potholes, drains overflow after even a little rain, parks have slowly disappeared, and government offices are scattered all over town, forcing people to run from one building to another just to get basic work done.

None of these problems are new. The district administration knows them, local traders live with them every day, and the Army has seen them for years.

Everyone understands what needs fixing, but what Baramulla has been missing is a clear plan that assigns responsibility, sets deadlines, and make...