Liquor vend at BSF Chowk creates uproar

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News service

Jalandhar, July 19

A liquor vend opened at the prominent BSF Chowk in the city has created uproar among city residents.

The intersection besides the the chowk also provides entry to the main gate of the Punjab Frontiers headquarters of the BSF.

Also, a memorabilia was installed here in the memory of Ajeet Singh Minhas, son of Parneet Minhas, General Manager, Punjab Roadways, who was killed here in an accident occurred in December 2016.

While calling it a cruel joke and major lacunae in the state excise policy, Parneet Minhas said though the family had installed a memorabilia to promote safe driving among city residents, the opening of liquor vend on one of the most congested and busiest road intersection was condemnable.

“This shows the insensitivity and lack of planning of officials who give provisions to open liquor vends on roundabouts. Nowadays, cars parked outside the vend to buy liquor are also obstructing the traffic flow from all sides of the chowk,” said Minhas.

While several BSF personnel keep standing outside the BSF headquarters to guard the main gate opposite the vend, booze lovers were seen stopping by and buying liquor every now and then. Some officials on the condition of anonymity have also raised questions over the opening of the vend opposite the main gate.

Divisional Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC) Jaspinder Singh said the vend was allocated as per the policy rules.

“We have allocated the vend as per policy rules. Shops on the roundabout were allotted by the Municipal Corporation, hence, the owner has opened a vend as per law,” Singh said.

Traffic lights on one-way route irks commuters

A traffic light installed outside the main entrance of the city bus stand on the one-way road due to which daily commuters in the area are facing inconvenience.

While on the one side, heavy vehicles, including buses, could be seen coming at a high speed  from  the flyover to enter the city bus stand, on the other the district administration has installed a traffic light  and allowed traffic from the opposite side to enter the one-way road.

Calling it a serious blunder of traffic engineering, the traffic police personnel deployed at the point have claimed that it had increased the accident probability.

“While heavy traffic is coming from the flyover at a high speed, the traffic from the other side too has begun to merge into them. This is a serious issue and needs to be dealt carefully,” said a police official.