Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 2: A meeting of the Executive Body the Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) was held at the Dogra Hall here, under the chairmanship of its president Th. Gulchain Singh Charak. He gave out the progress of the different meetings held with various DSS chapters in Jammu and public representatives from different districts of the State. He also covered the details of his visit to Srinagar and the deliberations held with various civil society members and other social and religious leaders.
The members recalled that their meeting the Speaker Kavinder Gupta and the Dy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh last year when the Durbar moved to the winter capital. They noted with concern that in spite of the clear cut assurances given by both the leaders, no formal order has so far been issued to keep the road in front of the New Secretariat Jammu, open for traffic even after the Durbar start functioning here in Jammu. It was also decided that the DSS delegations will again meet both these leaders shortly and before the Durbar functions here.
There is little time left and closure of this road after the Durbar move will again cause multifarious difficulties to Jammuiets. The road is used for carrying the dead in funeral processions to Jogi Gate, for evacuation of casualties to SMGS hospital and attendants to and fro repeatedly, for devotees including women visiting the Ranveereshwar temple, thousands of school children including girl students of Women College Prade Ground going either way, ladies visiting Zanana Park from the Southern parts of city and ferrying of loads by porters for trade and commerce as also the tourists.
The members in one voice strongly reiterated the demand of keeping the Secretariat road open during winters and urged the State Government and the leaders to honour their committed assurances and not to go back on their words. Gulchain Singh Charak called it a sensitive issue and an acid test for Jammu leadership in Government. He cautioned that the public is keenly watching the attitude of the local leaders in the Government who will decidedly be held responsible for ignoring the aspirations of Jammu people and will be made to pay for it in the next elections, if they do not work for and support the causes of the people who have voted them to power.