Construction of streets stopped after poll, Rohtak residents blame politics

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, July 23

Resentment prevails among residents of Baba Mastnath Nagar in Rohtak city, after the construction work for streets and drains in the colony was stopped abruptly.

The residents allege that the construction work was stopped as the ruling party’s candidate got less votes from the area and lost in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The local municipal authorities, however, have put the blame on the contractor.

“The work on streets and drains was stopped during the Lok Sabha elections due to the imposition of the model code of conduct. However, instead of resuming the work after the elections, the contractor dismantled the bricks laid earlier and took away the construction material,” said Deepender Arya, president, Residents Welfare Association, Baba Mastnath Nagar.

Asked about the allegations of politics behind the move, the RWA president said they had invited BJP leaders to the colony and felicitated them after the colony was regularised.

“But, we cannot compel the residents to vote for a particular party,” he said.

The colony residents pointed out that they had got ramps in front of their houses removed to facilitate the construction of the streets and drains. However, the construction work has been abandoned, due to which they are facing inconvenience.

“The construction work of streets and drains in the colony has been abruptly stopped, causing various difficulties for us,” said Shribhagwan Siwach, a resident of the colony.

The residents said they had met local officials, who assured them that the construction work would be completed within a week, but it has not been done even after a month.

Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra remarked that it was a case of political victimisation of the local residents.

“If funds have been sanctioned for a developmental project and the tender has been allotted, it should not be stopped,” he asserted.

Rohtak Deputy Commissioner-cum-Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ajay Kumar said he would look into the matter. Questioned if the work had been stopped as the ruling party’s candidate didn’t get votes from the area, Kumar maintained that the matter was related to the contractor and a notice had been issued to him.