Government Programs Fail to Deliver: Mathwar’s Pleas for Road Ignored, Residents Demand Action
- Residents of Ward No. 2, Mathwar Panchayat, have been deprived of proper road connectivity for 75 years, severely impacting access to education and healthcare for students and families.
- The Block Development Officer (BDO), responsible for the area’s development, shockingly admitted to never having visited the Panchayat, highlighting the neglect of duty.
- Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Vikas Sharma, upon learning about the situation through Jammu Jottings, assured immediate action, promising a site visit and the inclusion of the village in upcoming developmental plans for road construction.
- Senior advocate and local resident Rampal Sapolia, who studied at the affected high school in 1955, expressed his frustration over the decades-long neglect, criticizing the failure of government programs like SAGY to deliver basic infrastructure to the village.
jj correspondent
Nagrota, July 05: A stark tale of neglect unfolds in Ward No. 2, Mathwar Panchayat, in Jammu district’s Nagrota Assembly constituency, where the road leading to Government High School Mathwar remains unconstructed since India’s independence. This glaring absence of basic infrastructure has left approximately 250 students and over a dozen families stranded, facing immense hardships daily.
The treacherous path, especially during the monsoon season, becomes nearly impassable, making the daily commute a perilous journey for students and residents. Education suffers as students struggle to attend school, and medical emergencies become a nightmare as accessing healthcare becomes a daunting task.
Shockingly, Block Development Officer (BDO) of the area admitted to never having visited Mathwar Panchayat, a blatant disregard for his duty as the custodian of the region’s development. Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Vikas Sharma, however, assured prompt action following Jammu Jottings’ intervention. He promised to direct the BDO and Gram Sewak to conduct a site visit and incorporate the village into upcoming developmental plans, ensuring the long-overdue road construction is prioritized.
Rampal Sapolia, a senior advocate and local resident who attended the same high school in 1955, expressed his deep frustration over the decades-long neglect. Despite the village being adopted by the local MP under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) initiative, basic infrastructure like road connectivity remains a distant dream.
Another resident, Ganesh Dutt, echoed these concerns, stating that numerous appeals to administrative officers have gone unanswered. Even the “Back to Village” program failed to address their plight. Dutt urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure the road construction is expedited.
Mohan Lal, Vijay Kumar, Nikhil Sapolia, Anil Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Rampal Vijay, and Arun, along with the rest of the affected community, have made a collective appeal to the Rural Development Department and the Public Works Department. They urge immediate action, including a site visit, the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR), and the commencement of the road construction at the earliest.
This situation highlights the stark reality of neglected development in certain pockets of Jammu and Kashmir. It raises critical questions about the effectiveness of government programs and the accountability of officials responsible for ensuring basic amenities for all citizens. Mathwar Panchayat’s 75-year wait for a road to education is a powerful indictment of the system’s failure to deliver on its promises, demanding immediate action to rectify this injustice.
