Ramban, Sep 22: Apni Party (AP) provincial president Jammu and Former Minister, S. Manjit Singh Thursday strongly condemned construction companies and contractors for executing unsentific digging and widening work on Jammu-Srinagar highway which has risked the life of commuters due to frequent landslides and cracks in the houses along the highway.
Addressing a worker’s convention in Ramban District, Manjit Singh said that “The highway widening work is not being done as per the geologists advice and the contractors are working as per their wishes without taking into account the damage to the ecology, mountains and the mighty river Chenab.”
He said that houses along the highway have developed cracks and many people who were shifted to other places are still looking for Govt compensation. “The compensation which is offered to them for damage to their houses whether partial or complete is very less and it must be enhanced and accordingly be disbursed timely to the affected families. The people in this hilly District suffer most because of the poor response from the construction company which has sublet the work to the inexperienced contractors in different locations which has become the cause of frequent traffic jams after shooting stones and landslides,”he said.
He said that the Govt must pull up the contractors so that the digging work is followed on the bases of professional advice from the geologists. “The highway has consumed many lives as the people fear travelling on the highway amid the ongoing widening work. The slides often block the highway and long queues of the vehicles can be seen for days till the weather condition improves. It’s a great inconvenience to the commuters and the Govt must intervene so that the widening work can be completed on time,” he said.
He said that the condition of roads linking with the villages is also adverse and the basic amenities are missing in most of the far flung areas of the District. “The electricity, clean drinking water and shortage of staff in PHCs are among the main issues being projected by the people of Ramban,” he said.
He said, “There is strong resentment against the companies working in Ramban district for not providing employment to the local skilled and unskilled youth. In this situation, the local youth have to migrate to outside J&K for employment even as the opportunities are ample in their home district.”
Earlier a meeting was chaired by S. Manjit Singh of the District Committee, Ramban and various issues were discussed with regard to the organizational structure and strengthening its roots in the District.
Prominent among those who attended the meeting include Provincial Vice President, Ex-MLA FaqirNath, Provincial Secretary, Dr Rohit Gupta, State President, ST Wing, SaleemChoudhary, SC Wing State Coordinator, Bodh Raj Bhagat, Provincial President Youth WIng, Vipul Bali, General Secretary ST Wing, Danish Iqbal, Vice President Parent Body Kirpal Singh, Youth President Mushtaq Shan, District Vice President Youth, Sheetal Singh, Shabir Ahmed, Yograj Singh, DharamBir Singh, Rakesh Singh and others.
Claims of GOI, LG admin on development, good governance in JK have fallen flat: Sagar Says aspirations of JK youth have turned into anxiety
Srinagar, 22 Sept: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Thursday said the hollow promises made by government on jobs, development and good governance have proven to be a big hoax.
This he said while addressing a meeting of party functionaries here at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha. Among others Party’s Senior Leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi, SajadShaheen and Ahsan Pardesi were also present on the occasion.
Interacting with the functionaries, Sagar said youth vote will play a crucial role in the elections, whenever it’s held in J&K. “The aspirations of our youth have turned into anxiety. The upcoming elections in JK not only afford our youth a chance to fulfil their aspirations , it also confers upon them a responsibility to secure their future by keeping BJP and it’s A and B teams hand’s off the power corridors,” he said.
“To think that the impulse among Kashmiris, Gujjars, Dogras, and Paharis with regards to their identity is dead is a misreading by BJP and it’s B teams. All the diverse groups of J&K are deeply attached to their sense of identity. BJP and its allies have been peddling different narratives to misdirect the people towards unreal issues. All their efforts have failed. This is why the BJP and its ilk in J&K is frustrated. Finding itself on shaky ground, BJP is bringing outside voters to help it win the elections,” he added.
Nothing can rescue BJP, people have made it a poin to punish them democratically, he said. The mass out reach of NC in the remotest corners of JK and the enthusiastic participation of people has unnerved BJP and its ilk. “Now they are trying to grab the democratic space in J&K through the back door. Here our people, particularly our youth have a role to play, they have to register as voters and subsequently vote in huge numbers. It’s people’s vote that will keep them out. This time, we will be voting for protecting our honour and identity,”
