Bandipora, Dec 25: Semi-tribal villagers in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have complained that they are being deprived of public transport services, forcing scores of residents to walk several kilometres daily to reach their homes.
Residents of Panaar and adjoining villages, home to around 1,500 households, say they are compelled to walk nearly half the distance as mini-bus drivers operate only up to a midway point. “They don’t consider us human,” an elderly resident of Panaar Abdul Salam, said. The villages are inhabited by a mixed tribal population.
According to the villagers, mini-buses ply only up to Aham Shareef village, located nearly four kilometres from Panaar. “We don’t even negotiate the fare and are willing to pay extra, but no one seems to take heed,” the villagers said. They alleged that their repeated enquiries to the Assistant Regional Transport Office (ARTO) have gone unanswered, with officials maintaining that, as per records, transport services are available. “But the ground reality is entirely different,” the villagers said, alleging that drivers routinely refuse to serve them. They said numerous applications and requests submitted to the ARTO have been ignored. “More than five years ago, transporters cited the dilapidated condition of the road as a reason for not operating here. The road has been blacktopped for years now, yet no one agrees to come,” the villagers said. They added that men, women and children are forced to walk long distances daily, a task that is particularly burdensome as not everyone can afford to hire private transport. The situation they say is compounded during emergencies. The villagers have appealed to the present ARTO to take a compassionate view of the matter and direct mini-bus operators to extend services to their villages.