Rajouri: A 17-year-old girl died after the vehicle carrying her to a hospital got stuck in mud for several hours on a road in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, prompting the district administration to suspend a government official and order an inquiry.
The road was damaged by a mudslide triggered by heavy rains in the area in recent days. The official responsible for the road had reportedly informed authorities that it was open.
On Friday, the girl from the remote Methyani village reportedly fell seriously ill and was being taken to Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri when the vehicle carrying her got stranded for nearly three hours due to a mudslide at Chak Methyani.
After hectic efforts, volunteers managed to pull the vehicle out, but the girl’s condition deteriorated and she died while being taken to the hospital, the officials said.
The Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal road, the only road link connecting several remote villages in the area, was washed away near Methyani during last year’s monsoon and was subsequently restored temporarily.
The same stretch was hit by a mudslide around two weeks ago, rendering the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road unmotorable.
The incident triggered widespread public anger, with locals accusing the PMGSY authorities of gross negligence for failing to restore the vital road despite repeated pleas. The matter gained further attention after a video related to the incident was widely circulated on social media.
Acting swiftly, the Rajouri district administration issued an order stating that the Executive Engineer, PMGSY Division Rajouri, had informed the administration through an official WhatsApp group that the road had been restored and was trafficable.
However, a subsequent verification conducted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Kotranka, presented a different picture.
According to the ADC’s report, the deceased girl had been suffering from an illness for nearly a month and had earlier been admitted to Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu. She was discharged around two weeks ago, but her condition deteriorated again, prompting her family to take her to GMC Rajouri.
However, the blocked road caused a delay of nearly two to three hours, the report said.
The ADC’s report further stated that the road remained in extremely poor condition due to landslides and deep ditches, making it unfit for vehicular movement. It also highlighted that residents of Narla Bamble, Kotecharwal and Panglar continue to face severe difficulties in transporting patients, food grains and fertilisers.
Taking serious note of the ADC’s report, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma ordered immediate suspension of the concerned official pending an inquiry.
The DDC said despite repeated directions for immediate restoration of the road damaged during the recent rains, the PMGSY authorities failed to undertake the required work, indicating prima facie negligence and non-compliance with official instructions.
Pending an inquiry, he ordered the suspension of the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), PMGSY Sub-Division Kalakote and incharge of the Chak Methyani-Panglar-Kotecharwal road project, with immediate effect and asked him to report to the office of the ADC, Kotranka.
The DDC has also directed the Executive Engineer, PMGSY Division Rajouri, to explain why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for allegedly misreporting the status of the road and failing to ensure its timely restoration.
Pending consideration of his explanation, the salary of the Executive Engineer has been withheld until further orders, the order said.
Additionally, the Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC), Rajouri, has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and submit a comprehensive report to the district administration within seven days.
