Ummar Jamal
Bandipora 10 July (KNB): Residents of Ganae’mohalla in Aloosa area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district staged a strong protest against R&B department Kashmir for not macadamizing/repairing the link road of the area.
Protesting residents of the area blocked off vehicular movement on the main road Aloosa and raised slogans against the R&B department and said that despite their frequent requests to the concerned Tehsildar as well as other officials to fix the road, no one is paying heed.
One of the protesting residents told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that, “This route cannot be called a road cause anyone can see that it has no such characteristics. After slight rain people literally use it for vegetation purposes.”
“We have always been neglected. Tehsildar’s office is just nearby and every time a new one is elected, we have always made requests for the development of the road in person as well as in writing,” he said, adding, “their response has always been that the matter is taken up and added in the plans.”
“The so-called road is nothing but mud,” the protestor said, adding that if only the concerned officials tell the people of the area that there is no road plan there, they will stop complaining and let it be.
As per the protestors, every time the concerned officials visited the area, they only assure verbally that the matter will be resolved but on ground no development of the road has ever taken place.
Another protestor said, “We want our children to have a proper road to walk on. People from several adjoining areas face immense difficulties while commuting to other places through the link road.”
“For now, only the elderly have taken to the road and protest against the incompetence of the concerned officials but if the road is not fixed immediately, we will bring all our families and stage a larger protest. We are willing to die for it!” he emphasized, demanding quality macadamization of the link road.
Regarding the matter, Kashmir News Bureau contacted Executive Engineer R&B Bandipora, who said that the department’s (road development) plans for Aloosa, which is for one Kilometres, is in progress.
“But the Ganae’Mohalla comes closer to the PMGSY’s road. We will have to see what PMGSY does about this matter and if it falls under their plans then they will obviously take care of it,” he said, adding that if the link road does not fall under PMGSY, then the (R&B) department will estimate (it’s expenditure) and forward it to the higher officials for approval.
“As soon as we are allotted the funds, we will initiate the macadamization of the road,” he said, further ensuring full support from the R&B towards the people of the area, who have been suffering for a long time. (KNB)