In a unique protest, Kulgam villagers plant paddy on road

KULGAM — The residents of Kanipora village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district chose a unique and creative method of exposing the failure of authorities to repair a road in the area.

Villagers in Kanipora Kulgam, some 67 kilometres from summer State capital of Srinagar, have planted paddy saplings as a mark of protest on the Yaripora-Kulgam road to highlight its poor condition.

The unprecedented protest did not just end there – the villagers have taken it to the social media by uploading photographs on internet.

Locals said that the officials failed to check the quality of material used in road repairing. “We time and again urged officials to ensure the utilization of quality material by contractor in road repairing,” residents said.

They alleged that concerned department in league with the contractor used substandard material that resulted in various potholes and cracks on the road at many points.

“This is a silent protest to seek answers from the administration. If we had blocked the road instead, it would have only added to the problems of public,” Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Kanipora said.

When contacted, Executive Engineer Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Kulgam Farooq Ahmad Mantoo said that a proposal is already submitted to the department for macadamisation of the road.