Excelsior Correspondent
BILLAWAR, Nov 17: Demanding creation of Billawar district, the activists of Billawar Zila Andolan held day long dharna at the tehsil Ground Billawar, in which prominent persons from various parts of Billawar, Ramkote and Lohai Malhar tehsils participated.
Convener of Billawar Zila Andolan, Advocate Hari Chand Jalmeria, in his address to the participants, expressed concerns over the continued neglect by successive Governments of the genuine demand of creating Billawar district. “Billawar was ignored by Sheikh Abdullah in 1978 when he added 3 districts in Kashmir valley and again by Ghulam Nabi Azad when he created eight districts in 2006 while Billawar has again been ignored by Modi Government when five new districts were created in Ladakh this year,” he said.
He also expressed anguish over construction of Jail in green and grazing area of Billawar (Dambra village) where Agriculture University Research Center should have been preferably developed.
Jalmeria explained that people of Billawar, Bani. Lohai-Malhar, Ramkote, Mahanpur and Basohli have to travel long distances ranging 150-200 kms to reach Kathua district headquarter causing loss of time and money both.
The activists of Billawar Zila Andolan also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah through the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner Billawar asking the Government to immediately create Billawar district; to construct three tunnels: one at Sundrikote to connect with national Highway at Kathua, second at Dehri Gala to connect with Dhaggar-Bani, 3rd at Chuchru Gala to connect with Basantgarh- Mantalai-Chenani; to construct Agriculture University at Dambra instead of Jail; to restrict the height of Ujh Dam and not disturb the local population as there is insufficient water flow in Ujh river.
Other prominent participants were B R Upadhiaya, former Sarpanchs Jagdish Sapolia, Jagdev Singh Miyan, Makhan Jamodia, Kuldip Sharma; Shiv Dev Singh Sushil (prominent Dogri writer), Jatinder Singh Bhadwal advocate, Arvind Jalmeria advocate, Dwarka Nath Sharma, Punnu Ram Jamodia, Harish Chandel, Capt Dass Ram, Hemant Basotra, Bariam Singh, Amarnath, Tirath Singh, Ankush Thakur, Ravikant Sharma, Kuldev Parshad, Farooq Ahmed, Devinder Singh, Manjeet Kumar, Pardeep Singh, Joginder Singh, G L Sharma, Nirmal Kishore Basotra and Jyoti Parshad.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
