Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, Sept 22: Apni Party Provincial President Jammu and former Minister, S Manjit Singh today strongly condemned construction companies and contractors for executing unsentific digging and widening work on Jammu-Srinagar highway which has risked the life of commuters due to frequent landslides and cracks in the houses along the highway.
Addressing a workers’ convention in Ramban District, Manjit Singh said that the highway widening work is not being done as per the geologists advice and the contractors are working as per their wishes without taking into account the damage to the ecology, mountains and the mighty river Chenab.”
He said that houses along the highway have developed cracks and many people who were shifted to other places are still looking for Govt compensation. “The compensation which is offered to them for damage to their houses whether partial or complete is very less and it must be enhanced and accordingly be disbursed timely to the affected families,” he said.
Apni Party leader stressed that the Govt must pull up the contractors so that the digging work is followed on the bases of professional advice from the geologists. “The highway has consumed many lives as the people fear travelling on the highway amid the ongoing widening work. The slides often block the highway and long queues of the vehicles can be seen for days till the weather condition improves. It’s a great inconvenience to the commuters and the Govt must intervene so that the widening work can be completed on time,” he said.
Manjit Singh said that the condition of roads linking with the villages is also adverse and the basic amenities are missing in most of the far flung areas of the district. “The electricity, clean drinking water and shortage of staff in PHCs are among the main issues being projected by the people of Ramban,” he said.
Apni Party leader also claimed strong resentment against the companies working in Ramban district for not providing employment to the local skilled and unskilled youth.
Earlier, a meeting of the District Committee was chaired by Manjit Singh and various issues were discussed with regard to the organizational structure and strengthening its roots in the district.
Prominent among those who attended the meeting include Ex-MLA Faqir Nath, Dr Rohit Gupta, Saleem Choudhary, Bodh Raj Bhagat, Vipul Bali and others.
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