Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: The vehicular movement on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway remained closed for around four hours, following protest demonstration staged by residents of Nai-Basti area to vent their anger against long unscheduled power curtailment.
However, the traffic was restored on highway following the assurance by senior officials of the Power Development Department (PDD).
Scores of the residents led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Vikram Randhwa assembled at Nai Basti and blocked National Highway for four hours.
The protesters threatened that if the undisrupted power would not be supplied within 24 hours to the areas including Ashok Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Rampura, they would intensify their agitation.
Addressing the protesters, Vikram Randhwa said that since last one month the life has crippled due to worst ever power crisis in the area, adding that despite repeated requests to PDD officials nothing has been done so far.
He further said that the apathetic attitude of concerned authorities have compelled the residents to lodge protest.
The protestors said the studies of students are being affected due to long curtailments, adding that power cuts were also taking toll on old aged people and the children.
They demanded regular power supply to cope up with the conditions in the scorching heat.
PDD officials visited the spot and assured the protesters to take immediate remedial measures, following which the protesters lifted the barricade.
Prominent among others who participated in the protest included Kishore Gupta, Puran Chand, Mehre, Dheeraj Gupta, Dalip Gupta, Rajan Singh and Vinay Sharma.
Meanwhile, Sukhdev Singh Jamwal, district president BJP Akhnoor and Sarpanch Chinore also felt anguished over the unscheduled power cuts in Chinore, Bantalab and adjoining areas.
He appealed the PDD authorities to restore the power supply in these areas at an earliest.
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