No takers for shops at Terraced Garden subway in Chandigarh

All shops but one built by the Municipal Corporation on the Terraced Garden underpass in Sector 33 have been lying vacant, while unauthorised vendors do business on the overbridge without any check by the authorities. It is a classic example of wastage of public money and loss of revenue.

Advertisement

The only shop operational at the underpass, too remains closed during rain as water gets accumulated on the underpass and visitors avoid using it. However, three vendors operating on the overbridge do a good business.

The underpass was constructed at a huge cost of Rs 80 lakh to connect the two phases of the garden in 2019. There are no buyers for the shops, apparently due to a bad condition of the underpass. When the underpass was being constructed, the road had been closed for a long time. Commuters had faced inconvenience for a long time as the project had missed several deadlines.

“The underpass always remain badly waterlogged since it was thrown open to public. MC officials carried out repairs repeatedly to solve the problem, but in vain. Its design is faulty. Action should be taken against the officials who built it,” said Jagdish Singh Sarpal, president of the Residents Welfare Association, Sector 33. A retired government officer, who visits park for a walk every day, said, “Three juice stalls have come up on the overbridge. People using the underpass during morning and evening walk are always at the risk of getting hurt by things that might fall from above. These juice stalls are illegally operating. People having juice while sitting in their cars parked on the overbridge hinder traffic.”

Local councillor Anju Katyal was unavailable for comment.

Illegal juice stalls operate on overbridge

A retired government officer, who visits park for a walk every day, said, “Three juice stalls have come up on the overbridge. People using the underpass during morning and evening walk are always at the risk of getting hurt by things that might fall from above.