Jammu, May 8: The vehicular movement on ever busy Jammu-Srinagar Highway remained disrupted for around two hours in Nagrota area following the protest demonstration by enraged Jagti Township residents who took to streets against unscheduled power curtailment in the area since last many days.
  Perturbed over the unscheduled and excessive power curtailment in Jagti Township, hundreds of Kashmiri migrants, including women, old aged, children and youth blocked the main artery of traffic into and out of city, the Jammu Srinagar Highwaynear Kandoli Mata Mandir in Nagrota town at around 10: AM, causing massive traffic disruption for several hours.
 The protestors were shouting slogans against the state government, PDD and Relief Department authorities, who they claimed, have refused to address their issues and grievances. As the news regarding blocking of road reached the doors of authorities, police officials rushed to the spot and huge deployment of police was also made at dharna site, to avoid any untoward incident. Police authorities also diverted the vehicular traffic to alternative route from Nagrota bye pass, to avoid congestion and traffic chaos on the route.
 Despite traffic diversion, long ques of stranded vehicles was seen on both sides of the national highway. The people trapped in the vehicles strongly criticized the authorities for causing inconvenience to motorists on the busiest road of the city. They complained that it was imperative that the administration keep busy highways open for the traffic.
 The protesters were alleging that inspite of scheduled curtailment for eight hours daily, the PDD authorities also curtailed the power off and on. “We are getting power only for 8 hours in a day, as the power curtailment has been increased to double of schedule curtailment in Jagti township area” a protester alleged, adding that they had already appealed to concerned authorities many times for addressing the issues but authorities have always turned a deaf year towards our demands.
 The highway remained blocked for around two hours and at around 1 PM the protesters removed the blockade after getting assurance from Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu.
 ADC assured the protesters that the electricity supply would be restored shortly while for the coming one week there would be no curtailment of power in the locality while the issue of excess curtailment would also be taken with the higher authorities of the PDD.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 00:00:00 IST