Traders suffer as road repair work faces inordinate delay

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, April 9

Shop owners along the Bhagat Singh chowk to the Pratap Bagh road stretch are facing hardships as their businesses continue to suffer from prolonged road construction work, without any clear timeline for project completion.

Voicing their frustration over the sluggish approach of the Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities, the shopkeepers revealed that one side of the road has been closed for three months due to the laying of a water pipeline. However, the work has come to a halt without repairing the resulting damage. Emphasising the adverse impact on their businesses, they demanded an immediate solution to the problem, warning of imminent protests if their grievances remain unaddressed.

Hundreds of residents/commuters pass through this stretch on a daily basis, which is in a pathetic condition, but the authorities have no time to listen to the pleas of the public, leave aside providing solutions.

Kamlesh Sharma, a local shopkeeper, lamented that even after three months, the road remains inadequately repaired. “Despite numerous attempts to engage a former councillor and MC officials, their indifference to the public’s legitimate demands is evident,” he said.

Warning of a potential backlash, Sharma emphasised that if the MC authorities continue to neglect their responsibilities, they would have to face the wrath of the shopkeepers.

Another shopkeeper in the vicinity expressed dismay over the adverse impact of the road’s poor condition on his business. “Visitors feel reluctant to visit the market for the simple reason that the road is in poor condition, and if they visit, they would be stuck in traffic for hours. There are huge potholes, sand and mud lie scattered all over. A few roadside pushcart owners have moved to other places as they were facing losses due to low footfall. This is certainly not our fault. If the authorities have started some work, it is their job to finish it,” the shopkeeper added.

Traders said despite the Local Bodies Minister hailing from Jalandhar, the city lags significantly behind in addressing civic issues and improving infrastructure compared to other regions in Punjab.