JAMMU, Oct 11: President of Mission Statehood Sunil Dimple has strongly opposed the proposed Amphalla-Janipur flyover project, warning the government of intensified mass agitation from October 15 if the construction process is not stopped.
Addressing media persons, Dimple alleged that the Public Works Department (PWD), acting on the directions of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Central and Union Territory governments, was moving ahead with the proposed flyover project on the Amphalla-New Plot-Tali Morh-Janipur-Roopnagar-Bantalab road.
He said traders and residents had been regularly protesting against the project, but their concerns had not been adequately addressed. Dimple claimed that his own shops and residential properties would also be affected by the proposed construction.
According to Dimple, nearly 5,000 shops, malls and showrooms, along with lakhs of people living in the affected areas, could face adverse consequences. He alleged that soil testing, identification of pillar locations and markings inside shops for possible demolition had already begun. He further claimed that the process of obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the Sewerage Department, Power Development Department (PDD), Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) was progressing.
Dimple also alleged that measurements were being conducted for widening the road by 30 feet on both sides to facilitate the project. He called upon the government to make the complete project blueprint publicly available and explain how affected traders, shopkeepers, showroom owners and residents would be accommodated or compensated for any loss of property.
Questioning the alleged lack of consultation, Dimple said the government should not proceed with construction without taking all stakeholders into confidence. He urged traders, shopkeepers and residents to unite against the project and warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to reconsider its decision.
He also alleged that BJP MPs and MLAs were pressuring government agencies to expedite the project and obtain the required clearances. These allegations could not be independently verified.
As an alternative, Dimple demanded the development of a ring road and the introduction of a Metro service connecting Amphalla and Manda with Janipur High Court, Lakad Mandi, Roopnagar, Bantalab and Akhnoor.
Reiterating his opposition, Dimple urged the authorities to abandon the proposed flyover plan and initiate consultations with affected communities before taking any further steps. He maintained that the concerns of traders and residents must be addressed transparently and that the government should clearly outline the project’s impact, rehabilitation arrangements and compensation policy before proceeding.