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NHPC refuses to repair, hand over Palmar road to state govt

Kishtwar: The hullabaloo over the measures being taken by the government in accident prone areas of mountainous Kishtwar district turned out to be another futile exercise to end the miseries of people living in the district as National Hydro Electric Project Corporation (NHPC) has out rightly refused to take any measures to improve Bandarkot-Palmar road or hand it over to the state government.
Well informed sources told The Bold Voice that soon after the recent bus mishap, which claimed at least 31 innocent lives, a high level team of Jammu and Kashmir government under deputy chief minister Tara Chand, during their visit to the area, were told that Bandarkote-Palmar road has been taken over by the NHPC and the corporation was responsible for the maintenance of the road.
If sources have to be believed the deputy chief minister and other government functionaries immediately summoned General Manager (GM) NHPC to enquire about the status of the road, which was in worst condition and has virtually turned into death trap.
They said that the meeting held between the government functionaries and the NHPC authorities brought out the worst part of the scenario, where life and blood of innocent lives does not matter to the authorities.
Sources said that the NHPC authorities were asked to undertake the repair work of the road, with immediate affect, so that the people living in the areas and government officials posted there are not forced to risk their lives.
"The NHPC GM categorically refused to repair the road saying that the same can not be done until the work on the projects in the area are taken up by the corporation", sources claimed adding, "The corporation even refused to hand over the road to the state government for its repair work".
It was reliably learnt that the NHPC had employed at least 30 gang collies on the road for its maintenance but all of them were shifted to some other place for unknown reasons.
The Deputy Chief Minister, sources said, left the meeting in a huff and assured later assured the local authorities that the matter would be taken up with the chief minister.
The people were shocked to know that the agency responsible for maintenance of this road in the aftermath of this horrible act disowned to make any improvement of Palmar road and Hon’ble M.L.A Kishtwar was compelled to demand closure of this road till the same is made trafficable so that further loss of lives in road accidents can be avoided. One wonders whether we are living in 21st century or going back to Stone Age. Why the people of Palmar have been made to suffer at the hands of such in apt agency of NHPC who have no care of human life and have taken the people for granted and for a ride for number of years without any accountability.
"Had Palmar road been improved, there was no need for educated people to travel in a jam packed matador which was the only mode of convenience on this death trap road", says Shakir Siddiqui senior PDP leader. "They have not understood from the past accidents on this road that they too have some moral and social responsibility" added Siddiqui. Another resident Puran Chand says, "The government should pull up such irresponsible agency and throw them out of the area and no further works should be given to this agency in the upcoming projects". "Any MoU if signed may be reviewed by the government in view of the resentment of people and helplessness shown by the MLAs", said Puran Chand.