Tral, Feb 20: The inhabitants of Rathsuna Tral are up in arms against the Jammu and Kashmir government for not constructing a one and a half kilometer road from their village to the town which would considerably cut down their distance of 13 kilometers, which they have to cover everyday.
 “We have been suffering immensely from the past many years. It is unfortunate that we have to travel 13 kilometers when we can reach to our area after covering a distance of just two kilometers,” said a youth, Javid Ahmed Bhat who has to tread this long distance everyday on way to home.
 Corroborating Javid Ahmed, another youth said, “There are many centrally sponsored schemes like, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) under which they can construct this vital road, but the governments seems to be indifferent towards the problems faced by the people, especially the children, elders and women folk.”
 About the hardships faced by the people of the area, especially women, due to non-availability of the road, the residents said that during the past few years, three expecting mothers gave birth to their children while they were on way to the hospital through the paddy fields. “The authorities came to know about these incidents. However, they didn’t bothered to take any measure to bring relief to the people of the area by constructing the all important road,” the residents added.
 They said the traffic remains off the road after the dusk causing immense problems to the commuters. “After 5 PM, there is no transport available in our area. The transporters feel that Rathsuna is close to Tral, so they don’t ply vehicles on roads after 5 PM,” the commuters said adding that they had to move through the paddy land in the evening hours.
 The residents of Rathsuna also complained that after being ignored by the successive regimes they finally constructed a Kucha road on their own through paddy fields which leads to Tral.
 “But after a kilometer we couldn’t progress further as the land belongs to the farmers of Tral who stopped the making of Kucha road,” the residents added. 
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, local MLA, Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, said the demands of people of Rathsuna were genuine which need to be addressed. “It is their long pending demand which needs to be addressed. They have even constructed a Kucha road on their own, but it was stopped as the owners of land demand compensation. The authorities should give compensation and solve the matter once for all.”
 When contacted District Development Commissioner Pulwama, Shafa’at Ahmed said, “We will get the road constructed through a government scheme. Let their representatives meet me. Even if they it is two kilometers of distance, we will surely help them.”

Lastupdate on : Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 IST