Tarn Taran Diary: Years since inauguration, bus adda yet to roll
The Chabal bus adda has been inaugurated twice in the past six years, but it remains unused. The adda was constructed by the Zila Prishad at a whopping cost of Rs 2.5 crore. The adda was first inaugurated on December 26, 2016, by then-Tarn Taran MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu. During the regime of the Congress Party from March 2017 to March 2022, the adda remained shut. No politician or transport official lifted a finger to ensure that the adda was utilised. Then in 2022, Tarn Taran MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal organised a function at the bus adda in Chabal. The event was graced by Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, who inaugurated the adda for a second time. The adda, however, still wears a deserted look. No bus has rolled in to the bus stand yet. Bhuchar Kalan village residents Angrej Singh and his wife Charan Kaur, both septuagenarians, were tasked with standing guard at the spot. Angrej says members of the ruling party had assured him that he would get Rs 2,000 every month for discharging his duty as a watchman. However, he claims that he was only paid for the first two months. He has not received a single penny in the last three months. The elderly couple rues that without pay, it is hard for them to keep cave at the adda. The couple have urged the administration to relieve them from their duties and to release their long-due salaries. Angrej says the bus shelter has remained unused since it was inaugurated for the second time a few months back. Roadways Traffic Manager Bhupinder Singh has asserted that the local authorities have been making efforts to ensure that the bus adda is utilised.
DC’s tryst with press
A 2012-batch IAS officer, Baldeep Kaur, recently assumed charge as the new Deputy Commissioner of the border district of Tarn Taran. She recently held a meeting with the media-persons. She sought the scribes’ cooperation in the meeting so that she could ensure better services for the public. The DC also took feedback from them on issues facing the area residents. The Deputy Commissioner said that she was disheartened to learn about the ever-worsening menace of drugs. The DC noted that there are as many as 23 revenue districts in the state, and it pinches her to know that the Tarn Taran falls in the 23rd place when it comes to Sewa Kendra services. She says she wants to change the status quo. (Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)
