Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Oct 1: The leaders and workers of Apni Party along with locals today staged dharna against the acquiring of additional land for the construction of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
Led by provincial president, Jammu, Manjit Singh, ST Wing president, Saleem Choudhary, and others, the party staged a dharna here today in which people from Swankha Morh, Thandi Khui, Jakh, Rahya Morh, Tarore, Patli Morh, Sarore Adda, and Bari Brahmana participated.
The people were agitating because many commercial buildings and residential houses are coming in the National Highway Project which will adversely affect the livelihood of the people. “The displacement of the people from the place of their ancestors will have devastating effects on their and it would also end the earning of many families running their shops near the Jammu Pathankot Highway,” said Manjit Singh while addressing the protesters.
The protesters were assured that the Apni Party supports their cause and concerns about the acquiring of the land from the people at such a level without taking into account their considerations, he said.
He said that Vijaypur- Bari Brahmana -Kunjwani – Transport Nagar section of the Highway is most densely commercialized and inhabited patch of the existing National Highway and the construction of Expressway along the existing National Highway will automatically add to the quantum of traffic in their area which is already polluted because of industries in Bari Brahmana.
He said that “Many of the people who are going to be displaced had purchased land along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at exorbitant rates and constructed commercial establishments and residences.”
“The people should be given rates at par with the market value of the place which is being acquired. On minimal charges, the land or commercial, residential houses will not be allowed to be acquired,” he said.
ST Wing president, Saleem Choudhary said that a large chunk of agricultural land is also proposed to be acquired for the Expressway construction.
“If the agricultural land is acquired, it will have an automatic impact on the lives of the farmers and they will lose their source of earning. The Government not displace thousands of people and snatching their source of livelihood,” he added.
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