2 pedestrian underpasses prove to be white elephants for MC

Two pedestrian underpasses on Ferozepur road, one outside the Mini-Secretariat and the other near Aggar Nagar, which were built with much fanfare, are proving to be white elephants. Shops at both underpasses were never rented out. The underpasses are generally not being used by the public due to safety reasons as well as insanitary conditions.

The pedestrian underpass near the Mini-Secretariat was inaugurated in 2010 and built at the cost of Rs 7 lakh. It is lying closed for the past several months due to improper lighting and pedestrians usually avoid it due to security reasons. There are nine vacant shops in the underpass but these were never rented out despite multiple auctions conducted by the Municipal Corporation.

The Aggar Nagar underpass was constructed especially on the request of residents of the area to connect blocks A and B. Built with a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, the underpass was thrown open to the public in 2014. There are 13 shops at the 50-m-long underpass between the two blocks but these were never given on rent.

At one time, the MC was also planning to open an office dealing in birth and death certificates at one of the underpasses. But the plan failed to kick-start.

A shop owner in Aggar Nagar said when the underpass was opened, residents had thought something else but it turned out exactly the opposite.

“The underpass is hardly used by the residents and none of shops were rented out due to the lack of basic facilities. Water gets stagnant during rainfall and how can one run a shop in the absence of proper drainage system, lack of washrooms and water facility,” he said.

A city resident, Swarn Singh, said a few years ago, he used the underpass near the Mini-Secretariat to reach the Deputy Commissioner’s office. It was in a pitiable condition, looked abandoned and garbage was lying here and there.

He said the main problem was that the government built the infrastructure but it failed to maintain the same. “If the authorities taken keen interest in both underpasses after their inauguration, these would be successful projects,” he said.

The government should lower the reserve price of shops and also provide better facilities to attract customers, he said.

MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, who recently assumed the charge, said he would definitely plan something about both underpasses and rejuvenate the projects and give a fresh lease of life to them.

No takers for shops

The underpass near the Mini-Secretariat was lying closed for the past several months due to improper lighting. There are nine vacant shops but these were never rented out despite multiple auctions conducted by the MC. The Aggar Nagar subway was thrown open to the public in 2014. There are 13 shops at the underpass but these were never given on rent.