Srinagar: The inhabitants of two villages – Sahoora and Chotali – falling along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are demanding the construction of roads to their villages.
A delegation of locals from the two villages told Greater Kashmir that they had been facing hardships in absence of roads.
“Recently, we learned that the district administration was planning to develop our villages and set up educational institutes here but there is no fun in opening schools as we don’t have road connectivity to the village. We have to walk over 4 to 5 km to reach the main stretch,” said Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, 60, a retired government teacher from Sahoora village.
He said that in absence of the road even the community bunkers had not been constructed yet.
“More than two years have passed after tendering for the construction of bunkers was done but to date, no contractor came forward to filing a bid to take up the work. They fear it could lead to losses as the area would incur more const on carrying material charges and labourers,” he said. “The condition gets worse in winters as we have to carry patients and pregnant women on stretchers.”
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Sarpanch of Chotali village Irshada Begum said, “There is no road connectivity to Sumali village of Boniyar and the villagers have to walk several kilometres from Chotali to reach this village.”
Numberdar Maidanan village, Muhammad Ashraf Chauhan told Greater Kashmir that Maidanan-Chotali Road was too narrow and it was tough for two vehicles to pass at a time.
“We demand widening of the stretch,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla in an official video on July 20 said that Baramulla had received a fund of Rs 8.45 crore for the developmental work including setting up of infrastructure in three LoC villages of Uri – Sahoora, Charunda, and Chotali.
Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Uri Harvinder Singh told Greater Kashmir that the proposals for the construction of both roads had been sent to the government.
“The Sahoora road will be taken up through NABARD while the Sumali road will be constructed by PMGSY. We are waiting for the approvals,” he said.