Patchwork on ‘killer stretch’ eyewash

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 25

Sixteen days after the death of two motorcyclists allegedly due to potholed roads in the Industrial Area, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation yesterday carried out patchwork on the road dividing Sector 12-A and Industrial Area.

However, a visit to the road today revealed that the patchwork was mere eyewash and nothing was done to fill the potholed roads.

On the complaint of the family members, the Panchkula police had already booked officials of the department concerned in this case.

The road is still full of potholes and motorcyclists, even four-wheeler drivers, are finding it difficult to drive on the stretch.

Varun Gupta, a motorist, said MC officials are only trying to befool the public by carrying out such poor quality patchwork on the stretch.

“The Haryana Government should take strict action against the persons responsible for delaying recarpeting work on the stretch,” he alleged.

Echoing similar views, Sameer Sethi, who uses this road regularly, said: “It is a death trap during the night hours. Any person travelling on a two-wheeler can easily lose his balance on the stretch. The work of recarpeting should be started on a priority basis”.

A senior MC official said the tender for the recarpeting of the road had already been floated. It would be opened next month.

Kesh Chandra (25) and Pramod Kumar (24), both residents of Rajiv Colony, had met with an accident in the wee hours of June 8 when their motorcycle skidded and hit the divider of the road between the Industrial Area, Phase I, and Sector 12-A. Another person, Titu, a resident of Rajiv Colony, who was also on the same motorcycle, got injured.

While Pramod and Kesh Chandra were declared brought dead at the Panchkula General Hospital, Titu was referred to the PGI. Later, the police had booked the Panchkula Administration for negligence in the death of the two youths. Kin of the deceased had refused to take away their bodies from the mortuary unless a case was registered against the authorities.

The families had stated that the administration did not recarpet the road, which led to the death of these two youths.