Tractor Market a nuisance for residents

Harinder Singh Khaira

Advertisement

Patiala, June 8

Once shifted from the walled city to clear the mess in 2006, the Tractor (Kabari) Market has again become a nuisance for Patiala residents due to the mismanagement of scrap dealers and lackadaisical attitude of the administration. Encroachments by shopkeepers has become the biggest concern in the market, resulting in congestion and jams on the roads.

It is learnt that some shopkeepers have been backed by a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader who has openly supported his fellowmen to encroach upon the roads without any fear of action by the Local Bodies Department. As Punjab was led by the SAD-BJP alliance from the past 10 years, no Patiala Improvement Trust (PIT) official initiated any course of action against the encroachments as they were dreaded of the aggression of that Akali leader, it is said.

The Patiala Improvement Trust (PIT) has also failed to provide basic facilities in the Transport Nagar Scheme, out of which Tractor Market has been developed for scrap dealers. The shopkeepers claimed that the officials of the civic body have never visited the market to keep tab on unethical practices, including encroachment upon the roads and parks.

A full-fledged slum area has been developed in the market due to the alleged negligence of the PIT officials. The shopkeepers has also encroached the parking area and parks of the market by placing the scrap material on it.

The sewerage line of the market has been choked from the past couple of years and a little rain creates chaos for the shopkeepers as well as visitors due to waterlogging. It takes almost a week to drain the rain water as the clogged drains prevent the free flow of rainwater, which resulted in flooding.

Laddi Sehgal, a second-hand gen-set dealer, said, “Monsoon will start in a couple of days and once again, the whole area will look like a water body. Every year, we are forced to wade through waterlogged roads due to choked drains.”

The roads have not been paved in the past 7-8 years, which makes commuting a tough task even on a normal day when it does not rain. The scrap dealers alleged that raw material for the construction of new roads has arrived, but has lying unused in the middle of the roads in the market.

Banmeet Singh, a spare parts dealer, said, “It is learnt that the roads have been constructed on paper by the then administrators of the PIT. The shopkeepers are also at fault as they themselves have encroached upon the market space with their illegal practices.”

Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kumar Amit said, “I have called the meeting of PIT officials in the next week and will seek report on the matter to resolve the problem.”