Shri Budha Amarnath yatris facing huge inconvenience on Chandak-Mandi road; Administration not prepared for the Charri yatra

Shri Budha Amarnath yatris facing huge inconvenience on Chandak-Mandi road; Administration not prepared for the Charri yatra

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: The historic Chhari yatra is less than a month away, but the district administration seems to be in slumber as no efforts were seen as far as repairing the entire Chandak-Mandi road is concerned. People of the Mandi tehsil who used to travel daily on this route also expressed their displeasure with the sorry state of affairs in the administration.

Ghulam Ahmed, a resident of Mandi, said, “The contract for this road was given to a BJP leader, but even after years, the road is still incomplete and in bad condition, causing huge inconvenience to the people”. He added, “No inquiry was initiated on this big loophole by the administration, and it seems that all are involved in protecting the guilty.” It is important to mention here that the annual Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra will start on August 17, 2023, in which yatris from across the country are expected to participate to perform the darshan of Lord Shiva. The Chandak-Mandi road is in very bad condition. Moreover, the ongoing monsoon rains have thrown a big challenge before the administration to ensure that the road will be ready before the yatra. This issue also raised a big question mark on the visionless leadership of Mandi, including former legislatures and PRIs, as no concrete efforts were initiated by them for constructing a full-fledged all-weather road from Chandak to Mandi for decades. Taking silent advantage of weak Poonch leadership, officers of the successive administration also preferred to pass their time. After looking at the condition of Nangali Sahib Bridge, which is on the Poonch-Mandi route, one can easily come to the conclusion that nobody in the political or administrative setup took pains to ensure the overall development of Poonch. In the Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra, yatris from the entire country will come, and what impression will they get after seeing the horrible condition of the Chandak-Mandi road? It is high time for the administration to act promptly in ensuring a good road, feel locals.