Roads in Chappar Chhiri in bad shape

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 20

While tall claims of improvement of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial site at Chappar Chhiri village are made every now and then, the condition of approach roads to the historic monument is pathetic.

Punjab Cultural and Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had announced a grant of Rs 12 lakh for repair and re-carpeting of roads in Chappar Chhiri village during his visit at the memorial in mid-January last year. The roads are broken from brim and have large potholes.

“It is risky to drive on such roads, especially for two-wheeler riders. I fail to understand why the authorities are not interested in repair of an approach road to the memorial, which is one of the main attractions of this area and has historical significance,” said Sanjiv Punni, a resident of Mohali.

As per Surjit Singh, a resident of Chappar Chhiri village, following Sidhu’s visit last year potholes on roads were filled with soil, which again washed away during monsoon.

“Even the village road, which is also used by several visitors to reach the memorial, is in bad shape. These pathetic roads not only leave a poor impression on visitors, but also cause accidents and damage to vehicles,” he added.

“When the authorities have spent crores to construct the memorial then why don’t they provide good infrastructure here,” asked residents.

“There should be a regular checking of road infrastructure here. The authorities should also provide more facilities at the historic site to attract more and more visitors,” they added.