Fed up with bumpy ride, Samrala residents take a dig at Badals’ ‘California dream’
Wednesday, 15/07/2015
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LUDHIANA: ‘Sukhbir Badal da California - 0 km’ reads a purported milestone in form a banner stuck on a pole on the main road in Samrala. Placed right next to a dilapidated stretch of road, it is the residents’ way of questioning the Badal government’s failure to provide them with proper infrastructure.
A banner stating ‘Sukhbir Badal da California — 0 km’ placed on a pole next to a dilapidated road in Samrala.
In the irked commuters’ firing line is deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal, who — like his father, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal — has talked about turning Punjab into the rich and developed US state of California.
It has been five months since the municipal elections were held, but the Samrala council has failed to repair the main road that is riddled with potholes.
Several other arterial roads and thoroughfares in commercial and residential areas of the town are in a deplorable condition as well.
Since it has started raining last week, water gets accumulated in potholes, making commuting a nightmare.
Balwinder Singh, a resident, said: “The condition of roads in Samrala is deplorable and the authorities have made no efforts to repair them. I met with an accident this year as my vehicle got stuck in a big pothole. The civic body should have repaired all the in the town roads before the onset of monsoon.”
Sakshi Khurana, a student, said it takes him an hour to reach school due to the bad condition of roads.
“A one-and-a-half-kilometre stretch from Samrala to Khanna is in a pitiable condition and commuters are greeted with potholes everywhere on the road,” he said.
Samrala sub-divisional magistrate Anuprita Johl said: “Due to fund crunch, the repair work has been delayed. The Khanna public works department has sent an estimate to repair the roads. As soon as it gets approved, the work will start.”
