* No protection work done, public protests
Excelsior Correspondent
AKHNOOR, Nov 27: As the repair work on nearly 500 mts road near steel bridge over Chenab river at Akhnoor has been suspended for the last about three years by the PW(R&B) Department, the people residing in the area today held protest and raised slogans against the Sub Divisional administration and PWD authorities, demanding immediate resumption of repair work.
The locals claimed that about three years ago, land was acquired around the road for the construction of a double lane bridge near the steel bridge of Chenab river, on which the road widening work had started. Now the bridge has been completed but the PWD Akhnoor authorities failed to construct the approach roads and initiate protection work at the site where the private land was acquired.
Since the concerned engineers abandoned the protection work, the loose soil is getting eroded and causing damage to the property and the houses of the people in the vanity. That road is used by the SDM, Tehsildar and even the Executive Engineer concerned but they failed to take cognizance of the matter. Even the old small bridge near this long steel bridge was not repaired and no blacktopping work was ever done on it.
During rain, the water logging is created on the bridge and adjoining areas. Moreover, the PWD has abandoned the road widening work in the Akhnoor town due to the reason best known to the people at the helm of affairs. The SDM and the DC Jammu are hardly bothered over the issue.
The locals of the area today held protest against the local administration and PWD on the main road. Yash Kumar, Kamlesh Kumari, Sudarshan Kumari, Som Chand, Yash Pal said that since the road has not been repaired for the last 3 years, they are being forced to live a hellish life as water and mud is entering into their houses. No derain or protection work has been done by the agency PWD.
They said that the land was acquired to widen the road, for which the compensation amount has not been received yet. They said that despite informing the administration and PWD officials about the problems, the issue has not been resolved.
They said that if the road is not repaired soon, a massive agitation will be launched at the site.
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