6 months on, PWD division for Bhatiyat not notified

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, May 8

Announced by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at a public meeting on November 11 last year, the divisional office of the Public Works Department (PWD) at Bhatiyat subdivision in Chamba district is yet to be notified even after six months.

The residents were expecting its approval in the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday but they were disappointed when the government approved the creation of a new circle office of the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) at Dharampur in Mandi district and the division of the department at Thanakalan in the Kutlehar Assembly constituency in Una district but ignored Bhatiyat subdivision.

At present, the divisional office of the PWD and the JSD are functioning from Dalhousie subdivision, causing hardships to the locals. Bhatiyat subdivision was created in 1998 as local people had to travel around 100 km to visit Dalhousie for PWD works.

Ram Singh Chambiyal, president of the Bhatiyat Block Congress Committee, alleged that the government had befooled the people of Bhatiyat by making this hollow announcement six months ago.

He accused the government of discriminating against this Assembly constituency on development. Surinder Charak, vice-president of Chuwari nagar panchayat, said the government had ignored the constituency with a motive to settle a political score.

Abhinay Sondhi, president of an NGO, Chuwari, said that the people of Bhatiyat had given a big mandate to the BJP in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Now, the Chief Minister should honour his own announcement by opening a divisional office of the PWD at Chuwari, sub-divisional headquarters of Bhatiyat subdivision. Vikram Jaryal, local MLA, was not available for comments.