* Indefinite strike suspended on Div Com’s assurance
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 1: ‘Chakka Jam’ strike across Jammu City and outskirts today affected normal life while transporters took out massive protest rally towards the office of National Highway Authority of India (NHIA) and blocked highway for more than two hours, but the shops and business establishments remained opened.
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All the private/public transport vehicles including buses, trucks, tankers, mini-buses, Sumos/ Tempo travelers, Taxis and Autorikshaws etc remained off the road while general public suffered badly. The attendance in the Government offices and schools besides other educational institutions remained thin in view of the strike. The shops and other business establishments, however, remained open though Chamber of Commerce and Industry and some other organizations had assured support for the common cause of lifting Sarore Toll Plaza on Jammu-Pathankote National Highway in district Samba.
The strike call was given by All Jammu and Kashmir Transport Welfare Association (AJKTWA) led by Ajit Singh to press its demand for the removal of Toll Plaza on Jammu-Pathankot highway in Samba district.
Led by Ajit Singh, hundreds of transporters/operators and people from various associations assembled in at Bhagwati Nagar Chowk in the morning and held protest demonstrations against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over bad condition of the highway, demanding abolition of Sarore Toll Plaza.
Raising slogans against the NHAI, they took out a protest rally to NHIA office on Kunjwai-Sidhra Bye Pass Road. Hundreds of vehicles remained lined up in one tube of the highway during the protest rally. The traffic was disrupted for over two hours.
Talking to media-persons Ajit Singh said, “We are protesting against the NHAI in view of the bad condition, damaged Tarnah bridge and Toll Plaza issue. We are taking a rally to Sarore Toll Plaza in support of our demand.”
He said that despite protests for months by various organisations, the “NHAI is yet to wake up and resolve the issue”.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Ramesh Kumar along with district officers and SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli reached the spot and talked to the Association members. He tried to convince them and assured that Tarnah culvert will be completed within 2-3 days and NHAI officers in Delhi have given indication to resolve this issue within 4-5 days. He requested them to call off their strike.
Talking to Excelsior, Devinder Choudhary, chief patron of AJKTWA said that on the assurance of Divisional Commissioner, who came to them along with his team of officers, the Association suspended its strike this afternoon. He said Divisional Administration has assured to resolve Tarnah bridge and Sarore Toll Plaza issue within five days. Therefore, the Association members took a decision to give five more days to the Administration and if the issue remained unresolved, the transporters along with other stake holders/ associations and unions will launch united struggle for the common cause.
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