District Development Commissioner (DDC) Poonch Ashok Kumar Sharma conducted an extensive visit to NH-144A (Package-VIII) from Poonch to Bhatta Dhuriya today to review the progress of ongoing road construction works and address issues hampering their timely execution.
During the inspection, the DDC directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Surankote to resolve local hindrances and ensure smooth implementation of the project in coordination with all concerned departments. At Sheri Chawana (Shonda), where construction work had been halted due to complaints regarding house damages beyond the Right of Way (RoW), the DDC instructed the Tehsildar to conduct an immediate assessment of the damages through the Public Works Department (PWD) and submit a priority report.
He further directed that work be resumed in coordination with the civil administration to avoid further delays. At Madana, where a government school building falls along the road alignment, the DDC ordered the completion of a new school building on the valley side by April 2026.
He directed that the demolition of the existing structure and commencement of road construction at the site be carried out during the summer vacations in May to avoid disruption to academic activities. At Potha Bypass, where approach slab work had been suspended due to demands for a local pathway, the DDC directed the Tehsildar Surankote to facilitate the construction of a pathway within the RoW and ensure immediate resumption of pending works.
In Surankote, despite compensation disbursement, some residents have not vacated their premises. The DDC directed the issuance of a one-week notice to the concerned individuals, followed by demolition proceedings to hand over the RoW to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for the early completion of the project.
The DDC also instructed the concerned departments to undertake immediate repair of damaged Public Health Engineering (PHE) pipelines and construct gabion breast walls at vulnerable locations to minimise collateral damage during construction. The DDC was accompanied by SDM Surankote, Farooq Khan, OC 79 RCC GREF EE Civil Ashish Ranjan, CEO, Mukhtar Ahmed, Tehsildar Surankote and other concerned officers.