Uri residents demand cancellation of new road project

Uri, Dec 1: Residents of Nagi Thala and Chowkidar Mohallah in Garkote village of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have sought the cancellation of a new road project proposed by the Roads & Buildings (R&B) department.

They told Greater Kashmir that the proposed road from Chunapari to Chowkidar Mohallah will not benefit the majority of the residents.

“The road that the R&B department plans to construct will not serve the wider community. It will only benefit one house along the stretch. We demand that this project should be cancelled,” said Mohd Shafi Budoo, a local resident.

He further alleged that no consultation haS taken place with landowners prior to the planning of the road. “We are confused as to how they can proceed without consulting us. Our lands will be taken for the road’s construction, but the R&B department has not sought permission from us,” he added.

Shabir Ahmad, another local resident, stated that the R&B department seems determined to proceed with the construction, despite a court order halting the project.

“They regularly send their JCB machines to the site, attempting to build the road, blatantly violating the court’s orders,” Ahmad said.

“Such actions not only ignore the needs of other residents but also raise serious questions about the transparency and accountability of the department,” he added.

On November 14, the Sub Judge Uri issued a directive instructing the R&B department not to go ahead with the road construction without following due process of law. A further order issued on November 21 instructed the SDM Uri to establish a joint committee of R&B and revenue department to ascertain the facts related to the construction of the road.

Locals have also written to the SDM Uri, urging an investigation into the matter and requesting a joint survey. Additionally, they have raised the matter with the Executive Engineer R&B department Uri, suggesting the construction of a road from Saidpora to Mohallah Bilalabad, which they believe would benefit the residents.

“We have also informed MLA Uri Dr Sajjad Shafi about the matter,” they added. However, Fayaz Ahmad Kumar, Executive Engineer R&B department Uri told Greater Kashmir that construction work has been halted following court orders.