Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 24: Even as three Ministers, Abdul Majid Wani, Tourism Minister Ghulam Amhed Mir and Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo flew to Doda in the state chopper to attend a function, around 5000 passengers remain stranded to bear the chill near Baggar on Batote-Kishtwar highway.
The government has failed to bring the much needed solace to the stranded passengers. Reports said around 5000 people are stranded on the highway and till Sunday evening, nothing in the administration has moved to rescue them. Reports added that the BEACON authorities are on the job and if they fail to clear the road, the passengers would have to spend the night in extreme cold.
For the past two days, rain and snow forced closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway as well as Batote-Kishtwar highway. As on one side, Jammu-Srinagar highway was cleared for traffic, authorities were not able to clear bone landslide on Batote-Kishtwar road.
The people have taken strong note of the failure of Wani to get the road cleared. He has been severely criticized for its `inaction'. The people believe that the Batote-Kishtwar road has always been ignored by the authorities. "While they (Authorities) aim to make the Srinagar-Jammu highway a four lane road, no attention is being paid to the Batote-Kishtwar highway", they said.
The have also accused Omar Abdullah of taking Doda district to the era when people there lacked proper exposure. "The local ministers and legislators also are not doing enough to support people ", they said. |
