Jammu
Accidental prone stretch: J&K government ignores important public demand for blacktopping the Bhatadhurian-Manjakote road on the Rajouri-Poonch national highway; Rajouri, Poonch administrations in slumber
Accidental prone stretch: J&K government ignores important public demand for blacktopping the Bhatadhurian-Manjakote road on the Rajouri-Poonch national highway; Rajouri, Poonch administrations in slumber
POONCH TODAY NEWS
POONCH: The people of sensitive twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri have expressed their serious concern about the horrible condition of the road from Manjakote to Bhatadhurian, saying that the accidental prone stretch has become a cause of concern for everybody, but it’s shocking that the J&K government has not done something to address this huge public demand of blacktopping the entire stretch.
They said that it’s unfortunate that the Rajouri and Poonch administrations have turned their deaf ears towards the important issue of huge public concern. Locals who used to travel on this stretch regularly said that the slow pace of work on the Poonch-Rajouri stretch of the Jammu-Poonch national highway has caused huge inconvenience to the people. Aftab Ahmed, a government employee posted in Rajouri district, said, “The stretch from Bhatadhurian to Manjakote has become an accidental prone, but it’s astonishing that the government, particularly the administrations of the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, has been silent on the issue.” From an internal security point of view, the Bhatadhurian-Manjakote stretch is extremely sensitive, as the area had witnessed a number of terrorist attacks by taking advantage of dense forest, weak road structure, and rough terrain, but it is sad that the government has become a mute spectator and has failed to blacktop the entire stretch from Bhatadhurian to Manjakote for the convenience and safety of human lives. People said that the tunnel work between the Bhatadurian-Manjakote stretch will take another two to three years to complete, so the government should blacktop the entire stretch for the safety of the people who used to travel on this road on a daily basis. They sought the immediate attention of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha in the matter. Ghulam Khatana, a social worker, while talking to “POONCH TODAY,” said, “All the elected legislatures of Poonch district and officers of different departments, including DC Poonch and SSP Poonch, regularly travel on this road but have failed to address the issue before the government in the public interest. The work from Poonch to Bhatadhurian stretch is slow, and the work from Rajouri to Manjakote is active; however, the road from Bhatadhurian to Manjakote has become a life-threatening stretch that requires immediate government attention. “POONCH TODAY” has time and again raised the issue in the public interest, but the concerned authorities seem to be in slumber, as they might be waiting for unpleasant news on this stretch before rising from their slumber. The same Bhatadhurian to Bhimber Gali road stretch is a lifeline of the Poonch district, and it’s up to the government to make it functional round the clock, but the present condition of the stretch is so horrifying that people think a number of times before driving their vehicles on the said road, fearing accidents. People are eagerly waiting for the government to act, as the Bhatadhurian-Manjakote road stretch is extremely important for the residents of the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for various reasons.