Road connectivity a dream, demand of school up-gradation ‘repeatedly ignored’: Locals As many as fourteen villages located ahead of the Line of Control barbed wire fence “crave” for basic amenities with locals accusing successive governments of “ignoring” them.
Pertinently, there are 14 villages in Balakote sector of Mendhar sub-division, which are located ahead of LoC fence. These villages have thousands of people living in them. Some of these villages include Dhrati, Barooti, Panjani, Swala, Dadote, Dabi Daruti, Tarkundi, Kangi, Chapar Dhara and Ramluta. The locals, including Sarpanch Arif Khan, Haji Gulsaid Khan, youth leader Zaheer Khan and others, claimed that the villages suffer due to “lack of basic amenities”.
“There is no mobile network in our villages. Our only means of communication with the world depends on landline, which too has been lying suspended since the past year,” they said.
“Although some villages have road connectivity, but others including Panjani, Swala, Dabi, Daruti, Kanga, Tarkundi and Datote crave for roads. The people still have to walk several kilometers to reach their destinations,” they added. The locals also claimed that the villages lack water supply schemes and the people are dependent on natural water sources. “Besides, there is no power supply in our areas. Plus, we also do not have a proper health center. Our area lacks everything. We do not have anything,” they rued. Reiterating their demand of up-gradation of Government High School Dhrati to higher secondary school level, the locals said, “Our kids have to walk several kilometers to avail education. During cross-border firing and shelling, they are confined to their homes. This is why the up-gradation of the local high school is an immediate need.”
