Roads deteriorate, commuters suffer, authorities pass the buck

Ludhiana: The roads at Focal Point are in a miserable condition, due to which people are facing problems. A factory worker, Namain, said: “The condition of the roads here is poor. They are old, broken, and full of potholes. This leads to accidents in the area.”
“This area gets worse when it rains. There is no proper drainage system, due to which the roads get water-logged, leading to outbreak of diseases,” said industrialist Parminder Pal Singh.

Daily commuter Gurvinder Pal Singh said: “Most of the time whenever I am travelling on these roads, I am scared that my car’s tyre will get punctured or damaged, as the condition of the roads is way beyond poor, and there is no person nearby who can fix a puncture in Focal Point. The government is not at all looking at these places. I don’t know why, but these issues need to be resolved as soon as possible.”

Another daily commuter, Saksham Juneja, said: “Because of broken roads, most of the time there is dust everywhere, which is not helping us breathe properly, and is affecting commuters, as it can cause irritation in the eyes. This is the biggest issue for people using two-wheelers as a mode of transportation.”

When Mahesh Khanna, the general manager of District Industries Centre, Ludhiana, was contacted, he said: “It is not our role to look into the issue. Talk to the municipal corporation or the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC).”

However, the SDO of PSIEC, Amanpreet Singh, said: “All maintenance was handed over to municipal corporation in 2001, but only Phase 8 was left out, which was also given to them for maintenance in 2005. We even have given a staff of 35 members to them, and they are the ones taking property tax, water bills, sewerage charges, and they are the one who need to look after that place.”

Finally, when MC commissioner Kamalpreet Brar was contacted, she said: “They can say anything they want, but I know what I am saying. If you want, you can listen to them, but I know we have given the NOC to PSIEC in the past 3-4 months.”

However, when Amanpreet Singh was contacted again, he said: “We have not received any NOC from MC, and even when we get it, it is only for construction of roads, not for their maintenance.”

Thus, the game of passing the buck continues, while the roads of Focal Point remain in the same miserable condition, and daily commuters continue to suffer.