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Ludhiana: Slow pace of ROB project on Pakhowal Road triggers protest
The protest was conducted after the Ludhiana civic body authorities decided to close one side of the Pakhowal Road— leading from Big N Meat to Hero Bakery Chowk— near the under-construction bridge for ten days due to the shifting of sewer and water pipeline
Members of a city-based NGO on Tuesday protested against the MC authorities on Pakhowal Road, accusing them of delaying the railway overbridge (ROB) project and causing inconvenience to nearby residents.
The protest was conducted after the civic body authorities decided to close one side of the road— leading from Big N Meat to Hero Bakery Chowk— near the under-construction bridge for ten days due to the shifting of sewer and water pipeline.The protesters also highlighted the plight of shopkeepers who have suffered losses in business as the project has missed several deadlines.
Initiated in December 2020, the authorities had set August 31, 2021 as the deadline for the ₹124-crore project to construct two road under bridge (RUBs) and a ROB at Pakhowal road railway crossing, but the deadline is being subsequently extended even as the public continue to face harrowing time at ground-level. The budget of the project taken up under the Smart City Mission has also been stretched to ₹133-crore.
Holding a bell to take a dig at authorities, social activist Kumar Gaurav, president of Yuva, an NGO, said he was ringing the bell to wake up the civic body officials from their slumber. He, along with area residents and shopkeepers, held placards and raised slogans against the civic body.
Demand social impact assessment of project
He demanded a social impact assessment (SIA) of the project on the businessmen and area residents living near the area.
“The businesses have been completely ruined. The situation is reminiscent of the lockdown as no or low footfall is being witnessed at these shops. Those who had rented their stores have shifted,” said Gaurav.
He said while the railway had completed the side project, over a month ago, the work of the civic body was being carried out at snail’s pace.
He said the railway underpass has become a den for anti-social elements, who target people in the dark due to absence of power supply.
He demanded that a probe should be conducted and action should be taken against the officials, who led to the delay in the project.
A glass shop owner, Harvinder Singh, said, “We are suffering huge losses as we can only cater to our regular customers, who avail our services over the phone. No one comes to the market and traders are forced to sit idle the whole day. Meanwhile, construction work is going on at snail’s pace, with only a few labourers working at the site”.
