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| JKNPP chairman submits memo to NHAI, NHIDC | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 20: Accusing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDC) of failure in ensuring time bound construction of Udhampur-Chenani and Chenani-Sudh Mahadev stretches, Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and Former Minister today threatened to gherao the concerned authorities and the executing firms in view of extremely pathetic condition of the said roads and the resultant inconvenience caused to the people.
He said that thousands of commuters of Chenani and Latti Tehsils besides the valley based passenger vehicles were using the said roads which had not been constructed despite lapse of several years sparking massive outrage in the area especially during rainy seasons. While the Udhampur-Chenani stretch was entrusted to NHAI, the Chenani-Sudh Mahadev stretch of the Highway was under the control of NHIDC who had allowed much leverage to the contractors and other executing agencies for reasons best known, rued Singh.
Submitting separate memorandums to Executive Director NHIDC and Regional Director NHAI at Jammu, Singh called for punitive action against Gammon India and SRM constructions who had failed to execute the works in terms of the contractual agreements. It was astonishing that even half of Udhampur-Chenani stretch of National Highway was not constructed despite lapse of over six years amply demonstrating the officer-contractor nexus and vested interest in the construction of the said project.
Singh said that during his four day tour of Chenani constituency, he discovered massive public resentment brewing in the area over the shoddy works and sub standard materials being used in the construction of the Chenani-Sudh Mahadev road with hardly any officer of the NHIDC visiting the sites to inspect the quality of works despite public complaints. "Only today morning a truck skided off the road and fell into a gorge due to collapse of retaining wall.
The agricultural lands of several farmers have been damaged in view of they having been forcibly converted into dumping sites by the delinquent construction company. The Basht Nallah has also been converted into dumping yard resulting in obstruction to natural flow of water. Not only that the said construction company has installed crushers and hot mix plants in agricultural lands without any permission from local Panchayats. Only recently the contractor's henchmen had beaten up a local youth named Ankit and caused him serious injuries resulting in protests and road blockades by angry mobs.
The people have lodged several protests but the construction company has refused to mend its ways. The defiant approach of the said contractor and his subordinates has sparked massive outrage which could snowball into a major controversy in the area. The people have planned a protest outside office of Highways Authorities and concerned contractors in case the grievances of the public are not addressed forthwith and warned of agitational course in case the quality of works was not improved", asserted Singh.
The officers of NHAI and NHIDC assured early action in respect of the issues projected by the NPP Chairman. |
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