Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: Local residents of Ward number one and two, along with shopkeepers of the area today took out a protest march against the decision of Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society (MMJHS) to restrict the free movement of people in the complex by installing two iron gates.
The protesting residents, including housewives, raised slogans against the Director MMJHS and district administration for allegedly harassing the people to hide their failures and corrupt practices being committed while executing renovation work on the mega structure.
The protestors also blocked the busy Panjtirthi Chowk and staged a dharna outside Raj Bhavan to express their anger and demanded immediate reopening of the gates.
“The decision to close both the gates was taken without consulting or taking local people into confidence. It is sheer dictatorship which will not be tolerated at any cost. Elderly people and ailing people have been facing umpteen hardships due to this arbitrary decision which is aimed at hiding their own failures in bringing a significant change in the crumbling structure,” said Vaibhav Sharma, a resident of Pacci Dhaki.
A woman of the area said: “We have been caged in our own locality without any passage. We have been pushed into the pre-independence era due to closure of gates. In case of any human tragedy in our area, the Director MMJHS and the district administration will be responsible”.
The protestors warned that they would intensify their struggle if the authorities don’t rectify their mistake by opening both the gates.
Different market associations also extended full support to the people in their cause and threatened that this move would have serious ramifications if immediate corrective measures were not taken.
The protestors urged the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and the Chief Secretary B V R Subhramanyam to personally intervene into the matter and save thousands of families from uncounted hardships being faced by them on daily basis.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
