Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Aug 3: The members of local Tata Sumo Union and people from Harni today held strong protests at main chowk Mendhar and Harni chowk and raised loud slogans against the State R&B authorities.
A large number of Tata Sumo operators assembled at main chowk Mendhar at around 8 am and then held strong protest for about two hours. They stalled the movement of traffic on Mendhar- Jammu and Mendhar-Surankote road. They were shouting slogans against Mufti Government, R&B Minister, Chief Engineer R&B and Executive Engineer R&B Poonch.
Several Sumo Union members addressed the gathering. They alleged that condition of important road link connecting Surankote and Mendhar via Harni has been turned into a `Khud’. No repair work has been initiated on this road for the last many years. Its surface has been broken and it is very difficult to drive on this road. It takes at least 3 hours to cover about 20 kms distance to reach Surankote. Harni is just 7 kms away but this distance is also covered by the vehicles in 50 to 60 minutes. Big patholes have been developed and the vehicles plying on this road have been badly damaged. The Government takes road tax but it has not maintained its roads. This amounts to criminal act on its part. After some time Tehsildar and SHO Mendhar reached there and assured them to take up this matter with the higher authorities. Then they lifted dharna.
The people from Harni and adjoing areas also staged dharna at main Harni Chowk and held strong protest against Govt and R&B Department. The villagers sat on dharna and disrupted movement of vehicles for about four hours. They alleged that this road has not been repaired and it has become cause of accidents. The Matador and Sumo operators avoid to use this road and public suffers. Moreover, Harni- Nad road has been disconnected due to washing away of bridge. Link to about five villages has been snapped for the last one week and the Administration has failed to restore this link. The school going children by risking their lives have been forced to cross this nallah even during rains and flood. They alleged that they were witnessing worst kind of Government, rather there seems to be no Government at all. They warned to conduct `gherao’ of DC Poonch and local MLA.
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