Jammu: BJP MLAs seek rehabilitation of 39 shopkeepers affected by flyover construction

Jammu, Mar 15 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday sought proper rehabilitation of 39 shopkeepers, who are set to lose their business premises due to the ongoing construction of a flyover from Kunjwani to Satwari here.

BJP MLAs Vikram Randhawa and Narinder Singh raised the issue soon after the legislative assembly met in Jammu on Saturday morning.

They informed the House that the administration has served notices asking the shopkeepers to vacate the premises, despite a previous assurance that they will be provided alternative land before the construction of the flyover.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked the MLAs to take their seats to allow the Question Hour to proceed smoothly.

However, when the Question Hour ended, the BJP legislators raised the issue again and demanded a response from the government. The speaker said he cannot force the government to respond on the issues raked up during the Zero Hour.

“Contrary to a promise of proper rehabilitation, the shopkeepers of Nai Basti were served notices to vacate the premises and remove their belongings … They are genuine in their demand for an identified land promised to them, so that they can restart their lives,” Randhawa told reporters outside the assembly.

He said the shopkeepers are on the roads and “we will join them if the government fails to rehabilitate them”.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Bharat Bhushan held posters of two accident victims from his Kathua constituency and demanded a ban on the movement of dumper trucks in the town.

“These are the pictures of two accident victims — one of them minor — who lost their lives due to negligent driving of dumpers in Kathua town. Five persons have lost their lives in the last seven months,” he said, demanding adequate compensation for families of the deceased.

Many members from the treasury benches, including MLA Sajad Shaheen, raised the issue of continued rains and snowfall in Ramban district over the last four days. They demanded restoration of the snapped road link and power supply.