Sherpur Chowk city entrance in shambles

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 13

The entrance to Ludhiana city at Sherpur Chowk is crying for attention. The civic body has failed to ensure its maintenance for a long time. A structure, “Love Ludhiana” that was constructed in the green belt to welcome the visitors as also to give a beautiful look to the Sherpur Chowk around three years ago, is lying in a shambles. Some characters of word “Ludhiana” are missing and the wild grass has grown all around the structure. The grill around the green belt has broken at many points.

Chairman of Indian Institute of Architects (Punjab Chapter) Sanjay Goyal said the entry points were beautified to welcome visitors to the proposed Smart City in 2016. “It is a major problem here that there is no attention on maintenance. New projects are introduced but their maintenance is generally ignored,” he said.

Goyal, who is also one of the directors of Ludhiana Smart City Limited (LSCL), said: “These structures were erected at two locations, Jalandhar bypass and Sherpur Chowk. It was the responsibility of the civic body to take necessary measures to maintain beautification of the entry points. The MC should take steps in this regard at the earliest. I also suggest that there should be a separate maintenance branch of the civic body.”

A resident, Rashpal Singh, said: “The MC had spent good money on raising statues based on Punjabi culture in parks at Salem Tabri and other areas. But these parks as well as the statues are in a shambles now. Similarly, the civic body does not pay attention on the welcome structure at the entry point of Sherpur Chowk. Whenever new projects are introduced, the MC must fix responsibility of the branch concerned to ensure their maintenance in future.”

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said: “I shall look into the matter and take necessary measures to ensure maintenance of green belt area and entry point structure at Sherpur Chowk.”