Ajay Sharma
Katra, Apr 22: Rajouri-Poonch highway, the source line for all vehicular and commuter movement is severely affected by a 2 kilometers damaged stretch that is adding to the woes of the users of the road.
Makol Mandir to Varnara - a two kilometers stretch is totally damaged as the authorities concerned either seem to be in deep slumber or are nonchalant towards its repair as many pleas, according to the local populace as well as the sarpanch of the area, have fallen on deaf ears so far. While the people of the area, after having approached the authorities many times to get the road repaired and macadamized, left clueless, even filed an RTI over the condition of the road which in 2012, through a tendering process by PWD was just leveled by moving a JCB, but without any appreciable results.
Six months later even, no answer was processed from the RTI commission which is a sad state of affair.
" 4 to 5 ft deep trenches are a regular feature of this road which at many places have caved in also, thus posing a great threat to life of humans transporting on this road," said Ram Lal, a local villager in Makol Mandir.
The sarpanch, Tirath Ram Sharma when contacted said that he had many times approached the JE as well as the Divisional Engineer Mohammad Parvez Iqbal who just keeps the matter in abeyance without giving any reasonable justification for the road not being macdamized.
"Varnar to Naushera is 60 kilometers run and costs Rs 80 per passenger. Going to Divisional Engineer's office and coming back costs full one day and shelling of Rs 160 per trip without getting any assurance which is quite disturbing," said Mohammad Akram, a resident of Varnara who also alongwith with other aggrieved frequented Naushera to list problem of the road with DE.
However as per the sources privy to DE's office, it was learnt that when one of the locals approached the DE saying that he would be filing an RTI to find out the cause of inconvenience to the public , the concerned DE, Mohammad Iqbal Parvez, first offered him a bribe to keep silent on the issue and later threatened that if RTI would be moved , all development works of the area would be brought to halt. "I was asked to take some money against my filing of an RTI application which when I refused was exchanged with a threat from the DE to get all development works stopped in the area," said Rashpal Sharma , the local who , however filed the RTI on 28-10-2013, but to no avail as no answer was given thereof .
However two more rejoinders to the RTI were given on 17-3-2014 and 17-4-2014, where after the matter was brought to the knowledge of RTI Commissioner jammu.
As per the latest information available, the RTI Commissioner Jammu has given 10 days' time to the DE to file the status report on the concerned road, failing which stern action would be initiated against him.
The inhabitants of the area are awaiting for 27th April, the day culminating the time frame given by RTI commissioner to DE and are in great hope that their plea to get the macadamized road would be taken up.
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