Construction of Abohar road under Amrut Yojana begins

j Sadosh

Abohar, August 22

Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) Yojana, the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) has started the construction of 970-m-long road after laying water and sewage pipes in the Dalit dominated locality of Thakur Abadi from Batra Chowk to Azeemgarh Chowk.

The scheme was inaugurated by then local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on October 27, 2017, in the presence of PPCC president Sunil Jakhar.

Under the scheme, Rs 92.1 crore was earmarked for the sewer system and Rs 27.06 crore for drinking water supply. A sum of Rs 44.44 crore had been provided for maintenance works for a decade.

The minister had directed the PWSSB to complete the first phase of the scheme in 18 months, but the work was delayed due to technical snags. The delay forced a dozen businessmen to shut their shops on both sides of the road and residents were without water supply for a year.

The residents then formed an action committee that threatened protest on the state highway for not constructing the road even after finishing the sewage and water pipe work few weeks ago.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Poonam Singh visited the locality and discussed the issue with the PWSSB contractors and officials. They explained that construction could not be started due to rain. She directed them to start work without further delay and the latter responded promptly. The officials said the road would be ready by October 31.