MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): In a recent development, the villagers of Batnara, an area a few kilometers away from Muzaffarabad, have been staging protests against the non-availability of basic needs like water and food.
To express their anger, the villages have taken to the roads and have threatened the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government to block the main Neelum Highway if their demands are not met.
According to the residents of the area, Batnara village lacks basic amenities even in modern times. There are no educational institutions, while the dispensary has no medical staff and no medicines. Similarly, the electricity system is also in a bad state.
The protesters said that they have informed the higher authorities about the problems several times, but despite the passage of years, no practical action has been taken, due to which they were forced to protest. The protesters made it clear that if their demands are not accepted, they will close the Neelum Highway from the Nausiri point to all types of traffic.
The protesters said that their children are deprived of education, and patients are being carried to the hospital on cots and shoulders. They further said that despite the existence of a dispensary building in Batnara, the medical staff are sitting at home and receiving salaries.
