‘For now, all I can say is that the work will be initiated after around 10-15 days,’ Says Exen Ganderbal Zaffar Qureshi
KNB News Desk
Srinagar 31 August (KNB): Despite repeated requests for macadamisation, residents of Panchayat Halqa Kijpora and Panzin in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, keep on suffering due to dilapidated condition of roads for years.
Residents of the area told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that they have repeatedly requested the concerned officials of R&B to sort out the basic problem as the worsening condition of Kangan-Panzin road has made it difficult to travel by foot let alone in a vehicle.
“The road has been turned from bad to worst since past several months. Commuting in a vehicle on this road has become a headache for all of us. Even walking by foot means taking every step carefully, cause a little carelessness could cost you a trip to doctor, such is the condition of this road,” a resident told KNB.
Talking to KNB, few students of the area said that the dream of ‘Naya Kashmir’ may only remain as dream if the concerned officials don’t take care of the demands of the people.
“Me and my friends have to travel by foot towards our tuitions and instead of having conversations on our way, all we do is keep our eyes on the road because we do not want to be laughing stock for each other,” the student said in a sarcastic way and added, “if this is ‘Naya Kashmir’ the government should change the first part of the slogan.”
“Concerned officials need to look after the basic needs of the people of this area in order to make the Naya Kashmir dream come true,” another student added.
However, Sarpanch of the Halqa Kajipora, Block Kangan had brought up the matter in-front of the concerned executive engineer, R&B Division Ganderbal, repeatedly but no action has been taken up yet.
“We have brought up the macadamisation issue of all link roads of the Halqa in every Block Divas programme conducted in Kangan Block so far but it is so unfortunate that despite promises of action, no concerned official has taken any step to solve this basic issue,” Sarpanch Mir Shabir Ahmad told KNB.
Mir Shabir said that not just macadamisation but several other issues faced by the people of the Halqa were discussed during the Block Divas Programmes but no work was ever initiated.
As per the Sarpanch, macadamisation of the link roads in village Panzin was last done in 2013 but since then they have been completely ignored.
“It is not a big deal, merely a 100-200 feet link road that needs to be taken care of,” he said, adding that two Panchayats are linked through this road, which is some hundred feet away from National Highway.
The Sarpanch told KNB that a letter requesting for the macadamisation was sent to the concerned Executive Engineer months ago as well as the same was forwarded to DC Ganderbal and other senior officials for documentation purpose but no one has found it worthy to look into.
“The government is repeatedly reminding us that Panchayats have power but if it was so then atleast any of the officials should have looked at the request of the people of this area,” he said, adding that R&B department has not even asked once to the panchayat about any work that needs to done here.
Mir Shabir said that R&B has taken care of every other link road across the district, “But Kangan is the only Block, where few roads have been macadamised and the rest have been ignored.”
“Just for the welfare of the public these matters should be immediately resolved because in cases of emergency such condition of the roads could cost someone’s life,” he added.
Moreover, people of the area requested the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to give directions to the concern authorities to macadamise the Kangan-Panzin road as soon as possible.
Executive Engineer, R&B, Division Ganderbal, Zaffar Qureshi told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that the work for macadamisation of the road will be started after 10-15 days.
“I have already spoken to the concerned Assistant Executive Engineer about the matter and hopefully work will be initiated soon,” he said.
He further said, “For now, all I can say is that the work will be initiated after around 10-15 days,” Exen Qureshi said. (KNB)