Kupwara, Jan 20: Residents and shopkeepers of Drugmulla in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district staged a strong protest on Monday against the alleged overnight relocation attempt of the Assistant Regional Transport Office (ARTO) from Drugmulla to Kupwara.
The protesting shopkeepers claimed that the ARTO office is the only government department their businesses rely on, and its relocation would severely impact the local economy. They alleged that on Sunday night, the ARTO attempted to shift the office despite the holiday, which they termed as an unjust move.
The District Development Council (DDC) member of Drugmulla also expressed concern over the sudden relocation attempt, stating that such actions are unacceptable and must be addressed promptly.
Protesters took to the streets, demanding action against the concerned ARTO for attempting to shift the office overnight without any prior consultation. Zubair Ahmed, a resident, told Rising Kashmir that the ARTO office has been operating from a private building for a long time. He alleged that the official has personal motives for the relocation and intends to move the office to another private building in Kupwara, raising suspicions of a possible understanding between the ARTO and the building owner.
However, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ACR) Kupwara claimed that the concerned RTO had already notified the building owner, stating that the relocation was necessary due to space constraints. The residents, however, refuted this claim, arguing that the proposed new location has even less space than the current one.
Following the protest, the ACR of Kupwara and the Tehsildar of Drugmulla reached the spot to pacify the demonstrators. They assured the public that the office would not be relocated without valid and genuine reasons.
After receiving assurances from the officials, the protesters called off their demonstration but warned of further agitation if any attempt is made to relocate the ARTO office without proper justification.
