Bandipora, June 24: Massive protests were held in S K Bala village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday against the continued ban on stone quarries.
The protestors said that the quarries were a means of their livelihood and joined by their family members, they blocked the Bandipora-Srinagar road to press for their demands.
Holding placards and posters, they shouted slogans asking the authorities and asked them to pay heed to their genuine demand of lifting the ban on stone quarry works.
The protesters said, “The ban has broken the back of their families who at times starve due to non-availability of food at home.”
The villagers said that the skill of stone carving which had been passed on from generation to generation had now been threatened and that they were forced to take other jobs wherein they lacked the skill.
A majority of the villagers at Saderkoot Bala are skilled stone carvers who have been left jobless due to the ban on stone queries.
Many people living in the surrounding villages are also associated with the business.
Rendered jobless, the men associated with the business, as per the locals, have been forced to take menial jobs to feed their families which at times are not available too.
The locals appealed the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to listen to their genuine demands and lift the ban on stone quarries.