Not so 'smart': City grapples with same old problems

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 5

Despite being a part of the Smart City Mission, Jalandhar doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to being called “smart”, as it continues to grapple with the same old problems that it used to before it was included on the coveted list.

Impose heavy fine on company responsible: MC to Smart City officials

One classic example of the official indifference is the road from Kapurthala chowk to workshop chowk. One side of the road near Tagore hospital has been lying closed for the past many months, which has led to never-ending snarl-ups at Kapurthala chowk, especially during the evening. As a result, it takes 30 to 35 minutes for the commuters to cross the stretch.

Commuters rue neither the administration nor the Municipal Corporation is mindful of the fact that residents are the worst-affected due to the colsure of the stretch. They say the road was dug up in December last year to lay pipes for a surface water project; however, a year has passed by already, but neither the pipes have been laid nor the condition of the road has improved.

“The officials concerned are simply passing the buck on each other, and nobody is ready to take the responsibility. We are suffering badly, and are forced to take longer routes to reach our destination but who cares!” says Khushboo, a daily commuter on the road.

She further says as one-side of the road has been closed, the traffic on the Kapurthala chowk side has quadrupled. “Earlier, it used to take us hardly five minutes to cross the Kapurthala traffic lights. But now due to long queues of vehicles, it takes us more than half an hour to cross the traffic lights,” she adds.

Another commuter, Ajay Sharma, says Local Bodies Minister Inderbir Nijjar was in the town on Sunday and he made tall promises of providing first-class facilities and infrastructure to the residents. All these claims fall flat in the wake of pending projects. “This surface water project here on this road has been in doldrums for the past one year. Why isn’t the government getting it completed on priority? Why the accountability of the officials concerned is not being fixed?” he questions.

Meanwhile, MC officials say the company which has been awarded the tender of this project is responsible for the delay, and the corporation has asked Smart City officials to impose a heavy penalty on it. They say the repair work, meanwhile, has already started, but it will take a few months to be completed.

Officials concerned passing the buck

Officials concerned are simply passing the buck on each other; Nobody is ready to take the responsibility. We are suffering badly and are forced to take longer routes to reach our destination, but who cares! Khushboo, commuter

Why no urgency to finish the project?

The surface water project on the road (from Kapurthala chowk to workshop chowk) has been in doldrums for the past one year. Why isn’t the government getting it completed on priority? Why the accountability is not being fixed? Ajay Sharma, commuter

Car Dealers have no fear of law

Encroachment on footpaths and parking lots in the PUDA complex by junk and car dealers continue without any fear of law. Even the space where PUDA was supposed to build a park has been encroached upon. Harvinder Pal Singh, office space owner

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