Road repairs in Fatehgarh Sahib continue to drag ahead of Shaheedi Jor Mela

Devotees have begun to throng the city ahead of the three-day Shaheedi Jor Mela, set to commence on December 25, but patchwork on the roads leading to the gurdwaras and even the DC office continues to drag.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Deepak Batish has reached out to the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) seeking an inquiry into the pace and quality of work.

Locals, meanwhile, continue to question the choice of roads being repaired, alleging that the officials are choosing what part to repair on a whim.

The road near the civil hospital was repaired only on one side and the other still remains riddled with potholes.

Similarly, the road from Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib to Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib has only been partially repaired.

Batish said it was strange that even the patch work thoroughfares liked the VIP Road along the Sirhind Choe, which is used by chief minister to pay obeisance, has been made using substandard material.

Meanwhile, social activists and other representatives of NGOs and religious organisations have taken the initiative to fill the pot holes on their own for the convenience of devotees.

They also urged the CM to conduct the enquiry into the substandard quality of the repair work being carried out in the city.

Traffic plan in place

Ropar Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, meanwhile, released the parking and traffic route site plan for the Shaheedi Jor Mela.

Addressing the media, he said the district police have made foolproof security arrangements for devotees and 80 shuttle buses will be run to ensure smooth flow of traffic

Police teams will keep a close watch on pickpockets and other anti-social elements through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravjot Grewal, meanwhile, shared the detailed presentation about the traffic route plan, adding that National Service Scheme volunteers and National Cadet Corps cadets will also help manage things.

The SSP further added that the police have set

up a main control room near Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, from where the entire area would be monitored by the police.