Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Sept 1: Slow pace of road development from Kouag to Kadether has paralysed the normal life in the area during these rainy days . Thousands of people falling under five Panchayats of Billawar Constituency and Bani Constituency which are connected to Duggani through Kadether road are the worst sufferers. The construction work of a small bridge on Kadether nullah was completed one and half year earlier to connect the Kouag with Kadether, sources said.
But surprisingly the approach road connecting to bridge was not taken in hand by the PWD, so the bridge turned a white elephant and the people have no use of it. The useless bridge also created serious problem for daily passengers as they lost their traditional route. The daily passengers, students , patients, women and children suffer a lot as they have to walk five to seven kilometres on foot in this rainy season said a local youth Rajinder Singh .
He said the condition of Kadether road is worse to walk on foot. How can we think to drive a vehicle on this muddy road. He alleged that “we have approached numbers to deputation to local MLA, Minister PWD and district administration but to no avail’’. Even the PWD gives excuse of shortage of funds. Another youth Kuldeep Singh alleged that if the Government has big amount for construction of bridges why not they have small amount for approach road and protection walls. On the one side Ministers are chanting the mantras that there is no shortage of funds for roads and bridges on the other the works have been abandoned.
When contacted to Xen PWD Basholi Division, Parshotam Kumar said that there was shortage of funds due to which work has been delayed. The liability of bridge is also still pending. “We have called the tender for approach road and work is allocated”. “We are waiting for the improvement in weather to continue the remaining works”, he added.
He said “the relief to public is our priority but heavy rainfall is also a hurdle in the development’’, he added.
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