Pattan: 17 February: Hamid Rather, a well-known social activist and author from Pattan on Thursday demands the proposal of diversion of Narbal-Baramulla National Highway in Pattan be discarded and the existing Highway passing through the town be widened to add vibrancy in social, economic, and administrative institutions in the area.

According to a statement issued to the media, Hamid says, “The diversion of National Highway in Pattan will have an economic, social, and developmental fall out on Pattan Tehsil. It will also not lead to the development of Nihalpora, Sheerpora, and other areas in the upper belt. Horticulture land will be acquired for this and it will render people penny less.” Regarding the economic growth and development in North Kashmir tehsil Hamid says,” There are organic layers in our economy in Pattan. Nihalpora has huge state land and that can be used for fruit mandi, industrial estate, and other big projects.” 

Rather said that the people engaged in small economic activities like shops, tea, snacks, medicine, etc. will be rendered jobless. It will be tough for them to make even RS 100 a day if National Highway is diverted.

“It is also not economically judicious for the government to acquire private land when there is state land available along the existing National highway. I don’t understand which business principle the administration is applying and imposing huge economic liability on the UT exchequer”, he added.

“It is high time for Pattan to unite and defeat the people who want to ruin and destroy Pattan”, he added further.

Meanwhile, the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, has issued an order for constituting a committee for acquiring land, and surveying trees and crops that will be affected by the construction of four-lanes for Narbal-Baramulla National Highway