Commuters suffer as Khasa-Bakna road remains broken, unsafe

Even as the Punjab Chief Minister recently announced during a rally in Tarn Taran that 19,000 kilometres of roads across the state would be repaired and upgraded, residents along the Khasa-Bakna road say their long wait for repairs continues.

While road recarpeting work in the poll-bound Tarn Taran Assembly constituency is progressing rapidly and the Amritsar-Jhabal road has been freshly resurfaced, the Khasa-Bakna stretch remains riddled with potholes and broken patches.

This road, which lies outside the Tarn Taran constituency, connects nearly three dozen villages in the border belt, but its poor condition has made travel extremely difficult for daily commuters, farmers and schoolchildren.

Locals complain that despite repeated appeals to officials, the road has not seen any improvement for years. “Every time we hear about new road projects, we hope ours will be included too, but it’s always left out,” said a shopkeeper along the route.

Residents say that during the monsoon, the road becomes nearly impassable, with rainwater collecting in large potholes and causing frequent damage to vehicles. “The government must remember that we are part of the same state,” said Jagtar Singh, a farmer from a nearby village, urging the authorities to start repair work before the winter season sets in.

Villagers also expressed frustration over what they described as “selective development” in election-bound areas while others are ignored.

The Khasa-Bakna road serves as a vital link for transporting agricultural produce and connecting rural communities to Amritsar city.