Tarn Taran-Jandiala Guru road creating law & order problem

The pitiable condition of the Tarn Taran-Jandiala Guru stretch of 18 kilometers is creating a law and order problem for the administration besides resulting in harassment of the people of the area.

The road has not been repaired for more than ten years. As a result, the potholes have become so deep that even two-wheelers find it impossible to have a smooth run. The operators of buses and other heavy vehicles hesitate to pass through the road and often prefer to use the link roads crossing the villages on way. The residents of Kadgill village were so disturbed over the plying of buses and other heavy vehicles on the link road crossing through their village that they blocked the link road. The residents have placed tyres of heavy vehicles in the middle of the link road to prevent the heavy vehicles from plying. The link road is less than a kilometer long.

Jaswant Singh, former sarpanch of the village and Simranjit Singh, a youth leader of the village, said rash driving by the drivers of long route buses has resulted in five deaths on this link toad in various mishaps in less than a year.

Representatives of the local residents said buses and other vehicles after crossing the village link road approach the national highway and then face no disturbance as the highway is in good condition. It is because of this that they blocked the link road to ensure the security of the people. The residents had also approached the district administration to check the plying of the heavy vehicles through the link road. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sandeep Rishi said the demand of the villagers was justified and the administration would make sure that no long route bus passes through the village link road. He added that banners would be pasted at different places in the area to make the operators aware about not using the link road for approaching the national highways. These buses and vehicles cross the link road on the Amritsar-Tarn Taran stretch.

Buses, especially the mini buses, also have to take the road to lift passengers from the villages lying on the way. Prince Singh, a mini bus operator, said due to the deplorable condition of the road, they had to travel at a slow slow speed resulting in the duration of the journey getting longer.

The cost of repair also goes up, increasing the expenditure incurred on maintenance. The whole Tarn Taran-Jandiala Guru road has wide as well deep potholes throughout the stretch. The residents of Mallia, Kadgill, Khabbe Dogran, Nawan Pind, None, Bundala, Thathian, Jania, Pakhoke and other villages which lie on the way said they had been facing hardships for the the last many years but the officials and politicians appeared to be in no mood to redress their problems.

Photo caption-The residents of Kadgill placing tyres in the middle of the link road to block it. The tyres were put in the middle of the link road ---Photo: Gurbaxpuri

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