Commuters suffer as road repair work stalled in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, April 29

Though the ruling Aam Adami Party (AAP) has been contesting elections on the development issue, various development works pertaining to roads and streets have been lying stalled in the city. Political experts claim that it will cost the ruling party dear as a number of major and internal link roads are having potholes and have turned unsafe for commuters.

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation had issued work orders worth about Rs 85 crore to the contractors for constructing roads with premix, and streets with RCC and interlock tiles in all five zones of the city. According to information, the ongoing development work in the city has come to a halt due to non-release of funds by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Board (PMIDB). The local MLAs had claimed before the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll that development works worth Rs 70 crore were started in the five assembly constituencies in the city out of which Rs 15 crore would be spent on Old Focal Point.

MC officials claimed that Rs 30 crore had been spent on the development works, including roads and streets, and the MC was supposed to receive Rs 80 crore from PMIDB. The MC had received only Rs 20 crore four months ago and the amount has already been spent. After this, the MC has not yet received any amount from PMIDB. The MC has written letters to PMIDB to release the pending amount and senior officials had also visited Chandigarh to get funds. Despite this, the MC has not received any amount till date.

The contractors to whom work orders have been issued to get this development work done are not being paid for a long time. Owing to nonr-release of funds, contractors have completely stopped the construction work of roads in five zones of the city and the development work of Old Focal Point.

“With the stoppage of development work, its effect will be seen in the Lok Sabha election. Residents are facing inconvenience while commuting on the main roads of the city. The roads leading to the Golden Temple are in bad shape. The ruling party candidate will face this question on every corner of the city,” said Gurmeet Singh, a resident.

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