Dyalachak-Challan road, a victim of govt apathy | | | Early Times Report
Kathua, July 13: Dayalachak-Dinga Amb-Chhallan road, which connects Jammu-Pathankote National Highway with Dhar-Mahanpur-Udhampur road, has been a victim of the apathy of state and central governments. Despite protests by locals, the condition of the road continues to be deplorable. BJP MLA (Hiranagar) Durga Dass too showed his concern over the damaged road condition, criticising the state government and MLA and minister Manohar Lal for their alleged failure to make the road connectivity better in the area. The road, widely known as life line of Billawar, connects several villages. Dass alleged that Lal, who was a minister in the coalition government and represented the area, had turned insensitive towards the condition of this road and people would never forgive him for this. Col (retd) Randhawa, Janak Raj, Sagar Chand and Sanjay Sharma, all locals, said though patch work on the road was being done frequently by the authorities concerned, it was of no use. "This was mainly being done for the purpose of wasting government exchequer and benefitting a few," they alleged. Instead of doing the patch work, the whole road be reconstructed, they demanded. As per the expenditure statement of PWD as regards the execution of work, in 2013-14, Rs 23,000 were spent under district plan and Rs 15 lakh under state plan; in 2012-13, Rs 50,000 were spent under district plan and Rs 54 lakh under state plan. When contacted, Lal refused all allegations leveled by the people regarding the road condition and claimed that the road project was active and works were going on. "To raise the unnecessary criticism against me on the name of road is the habit of opponents. The fact is that I have been making every possible effort for the development of the road," he claimed. |
|