Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Mar 13: The residents of Dhara village in Sarna Panchayat have launched ‘no road, no vote’ campaign demanding immediate construction of road in the village.
Irked over the inordinate delay of the sanctioned Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) road for more than a decade to connect their village with motorable road, the residents are in a mood of stir in protest against the successive Governments failure to connect their village with motorable road.
Devoid of road, 7 villages including Dhara, Dhaloa, Hanga, Bharwa, Chak-Katoch, Dharaan and Noori located on the western hills of Bhaderwah Valley just 4.5 km away from Doda-Bhaderwah National Highway, boasts of odd 2,000 populace including 1550 electorates.
In view of the forthcoming general election, the villagers resolved to launch a peaceful protest with the slogan ‘No Road, No Vote’ by boycotting the democratic process, if administration fails to address their demand for immediate resumption of work on already sanctioned Gatha-Dhaloa PMGSY road without further delay.
They urged the Governor’s administration to take appropriate action against all concerned involved in alleged misappropriation of fund meant for the rural link road and inordinate delay of more than a decade in completing just 4.5 km road from Army Camp to Dhara village.
Irked over the pathetic attitude of authorities, representatives of the area including females held a strong protest at take up point of the Road near RR headquarters Sarna and unanimously resolved to boycott all the forthcoming polls if the road is not completed at the earliest, owing to lack of proper motorable road in the area.
“There is definitely something fishy as the earth work for a meager 900 meters has been completed in a decade. Despite running from pillar to post, neither macadamization nor metalling process has been initiated so far and both the administration and political representatives have maintained a criminal silence over the issue. So today, representatives of all the 7 villages have unanimously decided to boycott the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections”, said Thakur Yudhvir Singh, village head of Dhara.
When contacted, Executive Engineer, PMGSY Doda, Ajay Kumar Raju said, “Yes there is a delay in execution of work on the said road but we are waiting for no objection certificate (NOC) from Forest Department. Although, we changed the alignment of the road last year after Forest officers raised objection, so that minimum forest comes under it, but despite repeated reminders, we are still waiting for the required NOC”.
“Soon we get a go-ahead from the Forest Department and will immediately start the work as the tenders have been already floated and the work for the said road stands allotted”, officer added.
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