Villagers Threaten To Boycott PMGSY Road Work Over Safety Of Children, Damaged Footpath of Badola gaon in Chowbattakhal
Pauri Garhwal, 28 September 2026
The villagers of Badolgaon, Block Pokhra, District Pauri Garhwal have threatened to oppose and boycott the ongoing road widening and damarikaran work of the Sanglakoti-Gudinda-Badolgaon road unless their long pending demand for safety of village footpath is fulfilled.
Social activist and Patron of Jai Badrinarayan Krishak Samooh, Badolgaon (Registered), Subhash Chander Badola, has issued an advance notice to the administration stating that the 300-metre village footpath was severely damaged during the monsoons of 2025 due to boulders falling from the Public Works Department road situated just above the footpath.
“This village footpath is frequently used by school going children, villagers, travellers passing through the village and those going to catch public transport from Yatri Shed. It has become highly unsafe due to non-construction of retaining walls below the PWD road,” Badola said.
Badola said the issue was taken up by him in July 2025 with the District Magistrate, Pauri Garhwal and the Public Works Department. On taking cognizance, the District Magistrate had directed the PWD to do the needful and accordingly an estimate of *Rs 6.23 lakhs* was prepared by the department.
“Unfortunately the said meager amount was not approved and subsequently the road was taken over by Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from the Public Works Department. Now the work of road widening and damarikaran is in progress,” he added.
In view of the negligent attitude of the government and safety of school going children, Badola said the villagers of Badolgaon and neighbouring villages have no option except to oppose and boycott the work unless their three demands are met.
Quoting the notice, Badola said:
1. A long retaining wall must be constructed below the Sanglakoti-Gudinda-Badolgaon road to ensure safety of village footpath and PMGSY Jhabera link road just below the footpath.
2. The 300 metres footpath which was damaged due to construction of the road should be repaired and an iron railing should be put along the footpath.
3. Since last six years the villagers have repaired the footpath themselves regularly, hence a compensation of Rs 3 lakhs should be paid to the villagers through the Self Help Group under the banner of Jai Badrinarayan Krishak Samooh, Badolgaon.
Badola warned that non-compliance of the above demands will result in a huge demonstration by the villagers of Badolgaon and neighbouring villages.
“The above may be treated as an advance notice and the villagers shall not be held responsible for any loss or disruption in the work. None of the demonstrators be punished for this act,” he said, adding that the safety of children cannot be compromised.
