BRTS grills to be razed for traffic diversion

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 5

Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) and Public Works Department (PWD) officials have agreed to break the iron grills of BRTS lane, near Joshi Colony, for the diversion of traffic from Lawrence Road to SSSS Chowk. Earlier, MLA Sunil Kumar Dutti gave ultimatum to the authorities to provide a diversion for the traffic otherwise he would break the BRTS grills to make the diversion.

On Wednesday, Dutti claimed that PIDB and PWD officials assured him that diversion would be made tomorrow.

Following heavy rain and waterlogging, a large portion of the Mall Road had caved in on September 23. MC officials had claimed to repair the road till Diwali but failed. The construction work is still going on at a snail’s pace. BJP activists led a protest against the state government and the local authorities for delayed work. Residents and commuters have been facing routine traffic jams at SSSS Chowk as one side of the road is closed.

Last week Sunil Kumar Dutti intervened in the matter and asked PIDB officials to break the BRTS grills to provide diversion. The officials did not respond to the demand of MLA.

“The work has been long delayed. We were expecting that the MC will complete the repair work within one hour. But they failed to reconstruct the road. I have talked to the MC Commissioner and she also assured that the work would be completed soon. So, we have decided to provide the diversion till the MC not open the road for traffic,” said Dutti.