Gurdaspur, February 14
In a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, various agencies engaged in the construction of roads in this border district are working sans co-ordination amongst themselves, following which the tax-paying residents have to suffer due to the absence of a smooth drive.

The condition of several roads, on which the micro economy of the town and its adjoining suburbs depends, is so bad that the commuters are forced to take long detours to reach their respective destinations. To compound matters, the five departments responsible for construction and maintenance of these roads are not working in unison to achieve their primary objective of keeping these routes in a good condition.

The PWD (B&R), Municipal Committees, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Mandi Board and the CPWD are starved of funds to either undertake new projects or to re-carpet the existing roads.

Roads in all the seven Vidhan Sabha seats of this district are crying for repairs and the 14 km motorway, leading to Behrampur from Gurdaspur, is a classic example of how authorities are playing havoc with the lives and limbs of the villagers.

The road, which was built around seven years ago under the Prime Minister’s Sadak Yojna Scheme (PMSYS), connects the townships of Gurdaspur and Behrmapur. The world-famous Keshopur Chamb, eight km from here, is located on this very stretch of the road.

Pot holes, as large as mini ponds, have resulted in eco-tourists not taking this route anymore, following which the wetland is starved of both migratory birds and eco-tourists. PWD authorities claim that the tenders had already been invited in October last year to re-carpet the road and a contractor had also been identified to undertake the work. However, for some inexplicable reason, work had yet to begin. As a result neither the pot holes had been filled nor had the road been re-carpeted.

A local resident, Jagjit Singh said, “We pay road tax at the time of getting our vehicles registered. It is better we stop paying our taxes if the state cannot provide us with the basic amenities.”

The economy of nearly 150 villages, located on both sides of this road, is a shambles, following the commuters’ ‘forced’ decision to keep off the road. Instead of acting, the administration officials were hiding behind the ‘lack of funds’ excuse which had become more of a pretext rather than a justification.

Residents were willing to pay a nominal toll tax provided the roads were given to private parties on a Build Operate Transfer (BoT) policy. “Tax should be imposed on the road leading to Keshopur wetland since a lot of eco-tourists are expected to visit the area once the wetland is accorded ‘Eco-Tourism’ status,” said a resident. However, till the agencies pull up their socks, commuters would continue to suffer.