Road firm’s worker dies in accident; kin stage dharna

A prolonged dharna staged on the Pathankot -Mandi National Highway at Nagabari Chowk, near here, by the family members of deceased Deepak Sharma (34), son of Lekh Raj of Pucca Tiala, and other residents of the village resulted in over six-hour traffic jam. Bus commuters and other private vehicle travellers faced a lot of hardship amid scorching heat this afternoon. The traffic blockade created by the agitators could not be lifted till filing of this story (8pm).

The deceased was a helper and assisting in laying bitumen layer on the highway widening of the four-lane project at Nagabari on Pathankot-Mandi national higway in Nurpur. The dozer driver accidently ran over the victim.

The fatal mishap triggered a lot of anguish among the family members of the deceased who along with other villagers assembled on the spot and placed the body on the highway. Staging a dharna, they demanded the highway construction company’s owner to come to the spot and release compensation as per their demand to the family of the deceased.

SP, SDM and DSP Nurpur and local MLA Ranbir Singh Nikka rushed to the spot to try to pacify the agitators. The agitators alleged that none of the company’s employees shifted the deceased to hospital and fled from the accident spot. Meanwhile, the traffic jam continued for hours, adding to the woes of commuters.