Road repair: Too slow for locals, superfast for Punjab CM

LUDHIANA: At a time when the government has gone too slow with the process to repair broken stretches on Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Marg, which has been a major demand of residents of Sarabha and neighbouring villages, the authorities went in an overdrive to repair a 1,200-m stretch on the road between Abbuwal and Sarabha village to facilitate smooth movement of the Punjab CM’s cavalcade. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to attend the 107th death anniversary of freedom fighter Kartar Singh Sarabha at his native village on Wednesday.
The stretch between Abbuwal to Sarabha was black topped in just two days as the CM is expected to travel a short distance after landing at a helipad in a local stadium at Abbuwal.
On November 8, the TOI had highlighted the poor condition of the road. Last month, Mann in his reply to a question by Dakha MLA Manpreet Ayali had said in the assembly that the road would be repaired, but the promised remained unfulfilled till date.
A villager asking not to be named said the 1,200m stretch had not been black topped ever since it was widened a few months back, but the work started on Monday and is expected to finish before the CM’s visit to Sarabha village. He said this indicates how governments ignore common masses, but only value VIPs and leaders.
Baldev Singh of Sarabha village who along with many other villagers have been involved in a campaign seeking repair of Sarabha Marg said for more than seven to eight years, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Marg (from Bhai Wala chowk to Raikot) has not been repaired properly. He said even as the common masses of Sarabha, Narangwal, Pakhowal villages have been made to suffer because of bad shape of the road for years, the authorities are getting a 1,200-stretch from Abbuwal stadium to Sarabha village black topped for CM’s visit in just two days.
Baldev said even as they have heard that repair work of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Marg will start soon, they will intensify their agitation if it doesn’t begin on the ground.
Another villager Hardeep Singh said every day, thousands of villagers from Sarabha and neighbouring villages including students, professionals, businessmen, farmers take Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Marg and suffer because of potholes.
Asked about the hurry in getting a stretch black topped ahead of CM’s visit, Ludhiana deputy commissioner (DC) Surabhi Malik said, “We have done a follow-up on all related projects and we will ensure needful action in the coming days.”