MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): On Monday, crush plant owners, workers, and residents blocked Neelum Road in Muzaffarabad’s Kamser area, protesting what they called a government shutdown based on misleading reports, which they claim has triggered unemployment and inflated construction material prices.
A protest against the closure of crush plants intensified in the Kamser (کامسر) area of Muzaffarabad, with demonstrators blocking Neelum Road to all types of traffic on Monday, causing long queues of vehicles and severe inconvenience to commuters.
The protestors, including crush plant owners, workers, and residents, criticised what they called government policies based on an allegedly “misleading report.”
They claimed that the decision to shut down the plants was made based on unfair assessments from a few departments, leading to mass unemployment and a complete halt to construction activity in the region.
The protest is being led by District Council Member Mir Imtiaz Ahmed, with authorities present at the scene.
The crush plant owners assert that the livelihoods of thousands of individuals have been suspended for three years, leading to billions of rupees worth of machinery rusting away.
The crush plant owners’ position is that the government should establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) and, within that framework, allow them to reopen and operate their crush plants.
Speaking to reporters, demonstrators warned that if their demands were not met, they would extend their sit-in to other parts of the city.
They also highlighted that the prices of essential construction materials like sand, gravel, and crushed stones had already become unaffordable, further impacting the construction sector.
Meanwhile, frustrated citizens expressed anger over the road closure and called on the government to resolve the issue promptly to ease the suffering of the general public.
Recently, on May 31, labourers and owners of stone-crushing plants in Muzaffarabad held a joint protest against the government’s decision to shut down the facilities.
They argued that the closures were based on false reports, alleging that the Department of Environment and the Department of Minerals had misled authorities, resulting in the sealing of the plants.
It is worth noting that the crushing plants were sealed in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The court orders were implemented by the authorities and all crushing plants were closed as per court orders. Operations were stopped and heavy machinery was immobilized.
