Peripheral road of cantt likely to be laid soon

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 15

As a major relief to the residents of the Garha locality and Subhana, Hallotali and Dhina villages, the peripheral road along the Jalandhar Cantonment may soon be laid.

Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh, SDM Rajiv Verma and Army officials visited the site and held discussions on the spot so that there remained no error in the ongoing demarcation work. After the demarcation, a report will be sent to the government and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence.

Pargat Singh said the Army officials, who had remained adamant for years on keeping the Garha-Nurmahal road near the Dhina firing range closed, seemed quite positive today. Col Anurag Aggarwal represented the Vajra Corps. Tehsildar 1 Karandeep Bhullar, PWD officials, kanungo and patwaris also participated in the discussion.

It is after seven years that the demand of villages to open 3.4 km stretch of the closed periphery road is likely to be fulfilled. The villagers have been at loggerheads with the Army authorities to either provide them a link road or open the closed periphery road on this stretch. The villagers were left with no option but to commute on alternative roads. In 2007, the Army authorities, citing security reasons, had closed the periphery road. They had also constructed a wall along the houses of the civilians residing on the stretch, further compounding their problem.

Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, had on December 27, 2016, approved Rs 14.81 crore in principle for the construction of this road, but no groundwork was done.