Panchkula needs ‘good roads like ones around Speaker’s residence’

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, October 27

The city needs “good roads” — identical to the ones around Haryana Speaker and local MLA Gian Chand Gupta’s house in Sector 17. However, the contrast in the condition of roads in the proximity of Gupta’s residence and in other parts of the city is quite clear.

The road separating Sector 7 and 8, and the main road connecting Chandigarh and Zirakpur-Shimla highway give a bumpy ride to motorists, making the commute painful and accident-prone. Citing monsoon, the Municipal Corporation had recently carried out patchwork to fill the potholes but the filling has started coming off.

“First it was rain, but what now? I wonder why the authorities keep looking for an excuse to repair roads,” said Hari Prasad, who commutes on a bike from Chandigarh to Pinjore through the main road.

“The roads repaired recently through patchwork have started eroding. The authorities should carry out proper repair of roads to ensure a smooth travel experience for motorists,” said Vishwank, a motorist.

Work to start soon: Mayor

Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said a tender worth Rs50 lakh had been issued for the repair of roads across the city and work would begin soon.

“We won’t leave any road within the city limits in a damaged condition,” he said. He, however, didn’t divulge much detail about the repair work.

In September, Goyal had told Chandigarh Tribune that recarpeting of roads, beginning from Industrial Area, will begin right after the culmination of monsoon.

President, Panchkula Vikas Manch, RK Agarwal said, “A ride through the Sector 5 would tell you the real story about the condition of roads in the city. In the sector, parts of roads look worse than a village road. Panchkula is a planned city, but civic affairs is in tatters. Public money is being wasted in the name of beautification.”