Friday, 22 April 2016

Stray animals impede vehicular traffic

MC shrugs responsibility

Tahir Mushtaq 

RAMBAN, Apr 21: People of Ramban town are taken aback by the growing canine and cattle population on the main roads of the highway town which not only impedes vehicular movement, but also poses several other problems before the residents.

Vishav Bandhu Sharma a prominent citizen of Ramban said that huge presence of stray animals causes a lot of discomfort and trouble to the citizens, he lamented and regretted that authorities at the helms of affairs were in deep slumber.


He alleged that due to the negligent attitude of district administration and MC towards the stray animal menace, the people are suffering adding that this is one more reason of frequent animal smuggling and slaughtering.

Gurdeep Singh a local resident said that roads are already groaning under heavy traffic, congestion and road jams especially at peak office and school hours. To this the menace of stray cattle moving about unhindered makes the flow of traffic difficult and at times also one of the causes of road accidents. Not only that the roads at many places get soiled by them. The authorities need to take due measures against the crisis before it is too late. "It is highly unethical on the part of the owners of these cattle to allow them roam freely on roads" he said.

He suggested that there should be a frequent public awareness against this menace in the interests of smooth traffic on our roads and legal action should be taken including imposition of fine on such careless owners of these stray cattle.

When contacted Executive Officer (EO) MC Ramban, Zubaida Begum said the department does not have any arrangement to check the ongoing menace of stray animals.


When asked to penalize the owner of the cattle, she said the department will issue the notice to the respective owners of the animals who leave them to move on the road and affect vehicular traffic.

Saturday, 2 April 2016

Construction work of seven Km Chanderkote-Sawni Road hanging in balance for years

Tahir Mushtaq

RAMBAN, Apr 1: Construction work on 7 Km under construction Chanderkote-Sawni road has been hanging in balance for last many years, confronting residents of the area to gross inconvenience.

Locals alleged that the work on the said road was started around eight years back but no one from the Public Works Department (PWD) visited the site to review the construction work.

Executive Engineer (XEn) PWD Ramban, Amar Singh Katoch repeatedly ducked questions of this correspondent on the status of the road.

Ironically, as per the locals and labourers who were engaged on construction work said that the XEn never visited this site.

District Development Commissioner (DDC) Ramban Bashir Ahmed Dar when contacted said that he will call an official meeting and discuss the progress in connection with the Chanderkote-Sawni road, and try to find out the reason of delay in completion of the work.

He further said the manually construction work on the said road is time consuming and it will never be finished if done without machinery.

It is pertinent to mention here that from the past about eight years the PWD R&B Department with the financial help of NABARD has started the work of seven kilometer Chanderkote-Sawni road in district Ramban, but due to the negligent attitude of the department the work is still on snail's pace.

The department has approved the work at the estimated cost of Rs 407.09 Crore including the construction of road and compensation of land.

During rainfall the residents of the said area live under constant threat of landslide due to unfinished work.

Friday, 1 April 2016

Pathetic roads reflect negligence of Ramban authorities

Tahir Mushtaq

RAMBAN, Mar 31: The pathetic condition of road on national highway falling under jurisdiction of Municipal Committee (MC) Ramban clearly shows the negligent approach of the department towards their professional duties.

There are many such roads that are not maintained and repaired from the long time owing which the small pits become death traps for the two wheelers and walkers. Especially the road near bus stand Ramban and Sunari Mohalla becomes the major spot of accidents. At different instances locals alleged that people have to bear the consequences for the casual attitude of the concern departments in one way or the other.


Locals said that during the monsoon season water logging in these parts of road create inconvenience for passerby but the administration has closed its eyes reason best known to them.

Locals further said that the broken stairs near Raghunath Mandir from the past long time besides the stairs reaching Zonal Education Office, District Court Complex, District Hospital and schools also showing the same picture of apathy attitude of the departments.
 
"It is very difficult for us to cross that patch of stairs in night as the damages stairs portion may cause of major untoward said a shopkeeper.

When contacted Executive Officer MC Ramban, Zubaida Begum said that municipal committee is not suppose to repair the roads on National Highway as it is the work of National Highway Authority of India to maintain the damaged roads on national highway.


She further said that the department has projected RS 80 lacs for the repairing work of stairs under Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme of centre government but the government has windup the said schemes.