Massive protest over poor condition of Udhampur–Billawar road

• Pawan Khajuria demands immediate repairs

UDHAMPUR: Senior leader Pawan Khajuria expressed deep concern over the deteriorating condition of the important road connecting Udhampur to Billawar. He said that the stretch passing through the Udhampur East Assembly constituency has been in a dilapidated state for a long time, and large potholes at several places are causing serious inconvenience to commuters.

He said that the abundance of potholes makes driving extremely difficult and increases the constant risk of accidents. The situation is even worse for two-wheeler riders, who face the threat of accidents almost every day.  According to local residents, several people have already lost their lives in road accidents.

On Monday afternoon, Pawan Khajuria, along with his supporters and hundreds of local people, staged a strong protest at Manwal Bus Stand. The protesters blocked Dhar Road near the bus stand for some time and raised slogans against the administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

During the protest, speakers including Raj Kumar Buccha, Rajesh Sarpanch, Sandeep Gupta, Babu Ram, Master Govind Ram, Master Durga Dass, Makhan Lal, Raju Sarpanch, Balwant Rai, Somraj, Rakesh Gupta, and Bishan Dass, said that residents are extremely troubled by the pathetic condition of Dhar Road. Reports of accidents due to potholes are frequent, and people feel anxious about their safety whenever they travel on this road.

The speakers expressed regret that the local MLA also travels on the same road daily, yet no concrete steps have been taken to address its poor condition. They alleged that instead of resolving public issues, they are being ignored. In contrast, they said that despite losing the election, Pawan Khajuria has remained active in raising issues concerning the area at the tehsil, district, and central levels.

Addressing the gathering, Pawan Khajuria said that the Udhampur–Billawar road is a lifeline for thousands of people. If repair work is not started soon, the agitation will be intensified. He also mentioned that Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has taken cognizance of the matter at the PMO level. Dr. Singh reportedly spoke to BRO officials and directed them to initiate necessary repair work at the earliest.

Khajuria expressed his gratitude to him for the intervention. Referring to the Central Government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme, Khajuria alleged that projects worth thousands of crores exist only on paper. He claimed that villagers are still struggling for drinking water while officials merely publicize the schemes.

Tehsildar Majalta, Kamini Choudhary, who was present at the spot, said that the matter was already in her knowledge and assured that she would discuss it with higher authorities and assured them that the road condition would be improved soon, following which the protest was called off.

Pawan Khajuria said that he will continue to raise his voice for public issues and will not tolerate any negligence regarding the region’s development. He urged the administration to begin repair work immediately to provide relief to the people.

Sarpanch Feroz Din, Sarpanch Mukand Sharma, Sarpanch Keval Kumar, Sarpanch Raju Ji, Sarpanch Sansar Singh, Sarpanch Gautam, Sarpanch Bodh Raj Ji, Master Bodh Raj, Ashok Gupta, Master Govind Ram, Rampal Gupta, Rakesh Sharma, Rahul Gupta, Vijay Kumar, Akhil Parashar, Mohan Gupta, Ratna Chand, Ashok Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Suresh Kumar, Manik Parashar, Bharat Bhushan, Gurdayal Khajuria, Mahesh Sharma, Sham Lal, Deepak Kumar, Bhushan Singh, Sardari Lal, Gagandeep Singh, Captain Yog Raj, Kuldeep Ji Sunny Kalsotra, Satish Jandial, Rohit Sharma, Rajinder Sharma, Sanjay Verma, Jeet Kumar, Narendra Sharma, Mahesh, Ramesh Vishal, Vinay and several others also took part in the protest dharna.