R&B submits Rs 2 crore proposal for repairs, Govt approves Rs 60 lakhs
By: Ahmad Shabir
ANANTNAG: Authorities are carrying out widening and macadamization of link roads in different areas across Kashmir but seem to have forgotten to repair one of the major and busy roads Bijbehara-Langabal road leading to world famous tourist spot Pahalgam.
The road has developed big potholes at several places causing inconvenience to local drivers and passengers but also creates a bad impression among the tourists.
“The potholes on this important road are not only causing inconvenience to us but also give a bad impression to tourists. Authorities should have carried out repairs of this road on priority but they seem to have forgotten it,” said a local driver, Sabzar Ahmad who ferries tourists to Pahalgam almost on a daily basis.
Another driver, Bilal Ahmad said the big potholes on this road are the first impression of tourists visiting Pahalgam.
“One wonders if authorities are macadamizing the link roads everywhere why they don’t even go for patchwork on this important road, significant from the tourism point of view,” Ahmad said.
The road is also called apple road among the tourists as one of the biggest producing apple Karewa, Chini Wedder is located on this road.
“Bijbehara-Langanbal road passes through apple orchards and is popularly called apple road among tourists. Most of the tourists choose this road to reach Pahalgam for its scenic beauty but the authorities ironically have forgotten this road. We don’t even know when it was macadamized last time. For the last several years they have not even bothered to go for patch work,” said a resident of Sallar, a village.
Executive Engineer , R&B division Khanabal, Qazi Javed admitted that the road has got damaged at several places and that he has submitted a proposal for its repair. “Being a tourism road I had submitted a proposal of Rs 2 crore for its repair but only Rs 60 lakhs were approved. Out of this money the road will only be partly repaired,” the officer said.