Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 27: Hundreds of people belonging to at least three panchayats of block Bhalwal today held a protest demonstration against local administration over dilapidated condition of Bantalab-Gharota Road.
Over three hundred people from villages Raipur, Kot Bhalwal, Karwanda and Kangar today assembled at village Kot and blocked the Bantalab-Gharota road for about 5 hours demanding early start of blacktopping work on the road.
During the protest, which started at about 8 AM, the protestors raised slogans against the PWD and local MLA, Bali Bhagat, for their failure to ensure speedy reconstruction of the road and later burnt the effigy of Bali Bhagat. Due to blockage of road, the vehicular traffic remained disrupted for hours together.
“For last two years, the condition of road has become worse, as the concerned contractor has abandoned construction work of many culverts on this road in mid way. Moreover, in the month of June this year, the work of reconstruction of the road was taken up by the contractor but that was also abandoned after laying a layer of earth and gravel, which further aggravated the problems of the commuters”, the speakers alleged.
They said that school going children, morning walkers and shopkeepers as well as people residing along the road are bound to eat the dust blown away by the vehicles plying on the road. “The dust erupted due to plying of vehicles has become source of many diseases like sore throat, chest infection, etc in the commuters”, the protesters said.
The protesting people said that despite completion of earthwork of the road, the road is still not motorable and is forcing the villagers to live in miserable condition. They rued that administration seems to be least bothered about the pathetic condition of the people.
Later, at about 1 PM, SDM Jammu North, Mohd Alyas Khan along with Tehsildar Bhalwal, Mohit Gupta and concerned XEn of PWD, reached the spot and pacified the protesting villagers by assuring that blacktopping work on the road will be started by November 8.
On the assurance of the SDM and the PWD XEn, the protesters dispersed and lifted the blockade.
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