People face tough time in taking ailing to hospitals
Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Mar 21: Running from pillar to post for decades together the inhabitants of twin villages of Dhara and Threada in Kishtwar district san road connectivity even after eight decades of independence despite the fact that the village Dhara Thakrai is the home to a freedom fighter who was active member of Indian National Army (INA) during Quit India Movement.
According to sources since decades together the pleas of the twin villagers fell on deaf years as no one in Government bothered to provide justice to the hapless people of these villages who continue to face many hardships in reaching to their destinations. The problem becomes grave during exigencies or emergencies especially when a chronic patient or a woman suffering from labour pain is shifted to hospital, sources added.
Sources said people use to shift the ailing patients either on horseback or on cart upto over two kilometres to board a bus for hospital. Sometimes a chronic patient dies in the way with pain due to delay in reaching the hospital. The problem becomes more compounded during rainy season when footpath turns totally slushy and slippery or is over covered by three to four feet of snow.
Even the school and college going students especially girls are most ill fated persons who have to bear the brunt of absence of road connectivity, sources said. It becomes very difficult for them to reach the examination centre in time during the time of examinations especially when there is inclement weather, sources added.
Seema Bala a resident of the village Dhara while narrating the woes of the people said “It is unfortunate that when tall claims are being made by the Government to provide road connectivity to hitherto neglected areas our twin villages continued to remain neglected and backward”.
She said “It is a pity that the village has contributed to the freedom movement of the country and the grandfather of her husband Late Tej Ram was a soldier in Azad Hind Fouj (Indian National Army) founded by veteran freedom fighter, Netaji Subash Chander Bose,. He actively took part in freedom movement of country. But unfortunately his services have not been recognised by the successive governments as his native village is still without road connectivity”, she added.
She said the people of the area had made umpteen representations to the concerned authorities during earlier Governments but to no avail. However, a hope was generated after the LG administration framed a DPR amounting over Rs six crore for construction of two kilometre link road. The same has been sent by the Chief Engineer concerned to Principal Secretary Works for approval and release of funds over one year back but its fate is not known till date, she added.
Rajesh Kumar another resident of the area said “The people of this remote belt had pinned high hopes in present Government as it has given more thrust to linking the remote areas with road connectivity to rest of the country but in our case no one at the helm of affairs shows any interest as if we are the children of a separate God”.
The nation has made tremendous progress in last eight decades of independence but to the ill luck of the twin villages of Dhara and Therda the road connectivity has been a distant dream even in this 21 st century, he said.
The Chief Engineer, Chenab Circle R&B, Kewal Kumar Atri while admitting that the DPR of the road has been already framed said the same has been sent to Principal Secretary, Works for sanction of funds. He said the Project will be constructed under NABARD and the concerned MLA is authorised to sanction Rs 10 crore for two projects and in case the MLA gives the letter for taking up this project under NABARD then this road will be taken up for construction in the coming financial year.
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