NHAI doesn't care two hoots for DC's orders

Tribune News Service

Amit Bathla

Panchkula, January 13

Though Deputy Commissioner Mahavir Kaushik had instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on December 22 last year to repair the badly damaged Zirakpur-Kalka highway in 15 days, the directions are yet to be complied with.

Not just those living in Kalka and Pinjore areas, who take this road to connect with Panchkula and Chandigarh, thousands of tourists, who enter Himachal Pradesh via this road, are forced to bear the brunt of the potholed highway.

Besides causing damage to vehicles, the road can prove fatal for motorists, especially bikers.

Fresh rain has made the situation worse. During a visit by Chandigarh Tribune, it was found that two vehicles had collided with each other on a flyover adjacent to the Western Command Cantonment area as one of them tried to dodge a deep pothole.

Seeking immediate repairs on the highway, local Congress leader and advocate Vijay Bansal has written to the NHAI project director to immediately address the “apathy to road safety”.

‘’Earlier, the NHAI had cited revenue crunch for the delay in the repair work due to no tax collection at the Chandimandir toll plaza, but it’s been a month since the operations began at the toll plaza after being vacated by farmers. I urge the NHAI to address the issue. They (authorities and the construction company) earn crores of rupees from the public as toll collection, but give no services in return,” he said.

The Deputy Commissioner said he would seek a status report from the NHAI in this regard and issue fresh directions for compliance.

He said he would also raise the matter at the next meeting of the District Road Safety Committee.

In the previous meeting in December last year, in reply to the Deputy Commissioner’s query, NHAI officials had assured him that the patchwork on the highway was underway and would be completed in 10 days.

The repair of the badly damaged national highway in the local jurisdiction is a persistent issue.

Before the present Deputy Commissioner, his predecessor Vinay Pratap Singh, too, had asked the NHAI to repair potholes on the Zirakpur-Kalka highway before November 30 last year.

After the NHAI missed the deadline, it was issued fresh instructions to repair the road.

Will seek status report: Kaushik

Deputy Commissioner Mahavir Kaushik said he would seek a status report from the NHAI in this regard and issue fresh directions for compliance. He said he would also raise the matter at the next meeting of the District Road Safety Committee.

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