Distt Admn frames fact-finding committee
Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, Feb 20: A village in Ramsoo area is ‘sinking’ due to carelessness in National Highway widening work by the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) engaged by the National Highway Authority of India leading to strong resentment among the inhabitants, who have threatened to come on the highway to lodge protest.
Reports said that several houses in Halbagan area of Ramsoo, which is situated just adjoining the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, are continuously developing wide cracks during the past several days as Hindustan Construction Company has failed to take precautionary measures while executing highway widening work in the area.
“We are facing this problem during the past many days and even the prevailing situation was brought to the notice of the district administration but till date no steps have been initiated to prevent further damage to our houses”, residents of Halbagan told EXCELSIOR.
They said, “if the prevailing situation is allowed to continue our houses will collapse and in that eventuality only district administration will be responsible for the loss of life or to the property”, adding “the intensity of the problem can be gauged from the fact that even vast land in the village has started sinking and during rains the situation turns worse”.
Holding Hindustan Construction Company responsible for the prevailing situation, the inhabitants of ‘sinking’ village said, “we approached the HCC authorities a number of times but they are not ready to take our grievance seriously”. They have appealed the Governor to intervene and pass instructions to the district administration so that further damage to their property is prevented.
When contacted, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Basharat Hussain said, “we have taken due cognizance of the situation and constituted a fact finding committee headed by Tehsildar Ramsoo and comprising of engineer of Roads and Building Department and representatives of Hindustan Construction Company and National Highway Authority of India”.
“The committee visited the village today and will continue its exercise tomorrow also to ascertain the quantum of damage”, he said, adding “it would be only on the receipt of the report from the committee that preventive measures will be taken by the district administration”.
In response to a question, he said, “as an immediate step Sub-Divisional Magistrate has been deputed to closely watch the situation and take steps in case of any emergency”, adding “if need arises we will shift the affected people to safer location and get the necessary corrective steps initiated by the Hindustan Construction Company”.
He, however, advised the people not to be panicky and assist the fact finding committee in analysing the situation and working out the quantum of damage.
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