Thousands of residents of various villages, including Falthi, Parnote, Kabhi, Govindpora, Maitra and adjoining areas, continue to remain cut-off from the old district headquarter for allegedly more than a month after the old alignment of the Jammu-Srinagar highway was blocked near Jamia Masjid Ramban due to excavation work on February 8 for the 4-laning of the highway.
According to reports, the road has been closed since February 8 for every type of movement.
The old alignment, which is the main link road between the district headquarter town and Gool, Sumber, Kabhi, Gandhri, Tanger and Dhramkund, remains to be blocked for more than month now.
In this connection, protest demonstrations were held against the contractor company. The locals alleged that the company has neither repaired the road, nor made alternate arrangements for the people of the town. “About 80,000 villagers are suffering because of the blockade of the road, which is the only surface link between Maitra and Ramban old town main lane,” they alleged.
The protesters took out a rally from Jullah Bridge to Maitra Chowk and sat on a dharna. They raised slogans against the contractor company and the administration. “The problem is increasing day-by-day and businessmen, students, patients, senior citizens and women suffer the most,” they said.
When contacted by Greater Kashmir, the officials of the contractor company said that it takes time in getting the permission for road cutting and the process of road cutting also takes time, if a road is not broad enough.
Ex-MLA Master Ashok Kumar, who led the protest, threatened that if the road is not repaired within a week, the agitation will be intensified.