Iron grills stolen from improvement project on outer ring road in Amritsar

Large portions of iron grills, installed under the Facade Improvement Project along the outer ring road between Sultanwind Gate and Gate Hakima in the South Amritsar constituency, have gone missing, raising serious questions over maintenance and security of the public property.

The beautification work, which remains incomplete, was initiated in 2019 by then MLA (South) Inderbir Singh Bolaria to enhance the appearance of the city’s historic gateways.

The project involved laying Kota stone on the boundary wall along the outer ring road and installing iron grills around the adjoining green belt to improve the area’s aesthetics. However, over the past few years, numerous incidents of theft have been reported, with locals alleging that the problem began soon after the grills were first installed. Despite repeated complaints, no concrete action has been taken by the authorities concerned in this connection. Now, a major portion of the grills has gone missing.

Residents claim that the stolen material was being sold as scrap, often by drug addicts seeking money for their next fix. “Why do the authorities still install iron grills when everyone knows these are the easiest target for addicts?” asked Raman Sharma, a resident of the Gate Hakima area. He suggested that instead of iron grills, the Municipal Corporation (MC) should use more durable materials or build solid boundary walls to prevent thefts of the public property.

Another local resident, Davinder Singh, said thefts reflect the administration’s apathy towards public assets. “The Facade Improvement Project was meant to beautify the city, but now it has turned into a symbol of neglect. There is no police patrolling, no maintenance and no accountability of the officials concerned,” he said.

Residents have urged the MC authorities to inspect the site and restore the damaged sections before the project’s original purpose is entirely lost. They also demanded more surveillance, including installation of the CCTV cameras in their area, and a shift toward using materials that were less prone to thefts.