Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Mar 31: The irate people today held a strong protest and blocked the Jammu Pathankot National Highway near Jatwal for an hour against the new Excise policy and opening of liquor shops in the area. The protestors including men and women disrupted the movement of vehicular traffic on NH for one hour resulting in a huge traffic jam.
During the demonstration, long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the Highway and the movement of vehicles from both the sides was suspended for an hour. A large number of women, elders and youths participated in the demonstration.
Local Sarpanch Ajit Raj was leading the protest. He said that instead of opening schools-colleges and providing employment, the Government was encouraging the opening of liquor shops, which would have a bad effect on their children. He said that he has been protesting for the last several days demanding that liquor shops should not be opened in Jatwal, but no one listened to him forcing the people to block the National Highway.
The protestors have demanded that liquor shops should be opened somewhere else, otherwise the demonstrations will be held on a bigger scale and the Government will be responsible for it. Ajit Raj also warned that the Government tried to forcefully open the shop, it would have serious consequences.
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