4 roads converging at Shastri chowk in state of neglect

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 20

Even as several lakhs of rupees were spent on the repair and beautification of the Lal Bahadur Shastri chowk, all four roads leading to it from various areas are in a shambles and require urgent repairs.

The badly potholed roads include those from Madan Floor Mill chowk to Shastri chowk, the Main Post office to Shastri chowk, Kamal Palace chowk to Shastri chowk and Luv Kush chowk to Shastri chowk. All three roads remain busy throughout the day with a lot of commercial activity happening around.

The stretch from Madan Floor Mill chowk to Shastri chowk, also known as the Shastri Market road, houses dealers of big tyre companies and automobile repair shops and is frequented by many visitors. This is also one of the passages leading to the city’s railway station and hence the hurried commuters are compelled to be slowed down, sometimes leading to breakdown of vehicles as well.

The road from Luv Kush chowk side houses the backside of the MC’s office, where all water bills and property taxes are paid. Residents are paying the cost for the tattered path apart from the bills. “Whenever we come from this road to pay our dues, we sometimes do not feel like making our payment to the MC. We feel as if our civic body has become uncivil, especially when it cannot even mend way to its own office,” said Ankur Batra, a resident of Civil Lines area.

Rajnish Dogra, SE (B&R), Municipal Corporation, “The work to recarpet roads from Madan Floor Mill chowk and Kamal Palace side have been allotted to a contractor and would be executed soon. The other two roads will also be repaired soon.”

A bumpy drive to city’s railway station

The badly potholed roads include those from Madan Floor Mill chowk to Shastri chowk, the Main Post office to Shastri chowk, Kamal Palace chowk to Shastri chowk and Luv Kush chowk to Shastri chowk. The stretch from Madan Floor Mill chowk to Shastri chowk, also known as the Shastri Market road, houses dealers of big tyre companies and automobile repair shops and is frequented by many visitors. This is also one of the passages leading to the city’s railway station and hence the hurried commuters are compelled to be slowed down, sometimes leading to breakdown of vehicles as well.