Karnal: 4 years on, crack develops in Gita Dwar

Parveen Arora

Karnal, January 7

Over four years after its inauguration, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Dwar, a welcome gate built at the cost of Rs 98 lakh near Baldi bypass, has become a source of embarrassment for the civic authorities as it has developed a wide gap in its base.

The gate, which has a statue of Lord Krishna and Arjuna, was supposed to be a symbol of the city’s beautification and development, but has turned out to be a shoddy work of engineering.

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• The gate, which has a statue of Lord Krishna and Arjuna, was supposed to be a symbol of the city’s beautification and development, but has turned out to be a shoddy work of engineering.
• The gap has exposed the poor quality of the material used and the workmanship in the construction of the gate, residents alleged.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had dedicated this welcome gate to the public on December 8, 2019. It is located at the entrance of the city on the national highway.

The residents noticed that the gate had developed a crack in its base, which has widened into a gap of several inches.

The gap has exposed the poor quality of the material and the workmanship used in the construction of the gate, residents alleged.

The residents have expressed anger and disappointment over the wastage of public money and the negligence of the civic authorities.

They have demanded that the gate should be repaired immediately and that the responsible officials should be held accountable for the lapse.

“A major gap has developed on the base of the welcome gate, exposing the shoddy work. The authorities should take action against the officials responsible for it,” said Jatinder Chaudhary, a local resident.

Former Congress MLA Sumita Singh questioned the need for such welcome gates in the first place when the city has many other pressing issues to deal with.

“Instead of making such welcome gates, the government should focus on basic infrastructure, including roads, sewerage, drainage system, hospitals and schools,” she added.

Abhishek Meena, Commissioner, said that the issue has come to his notice and he would get it checked. “We will get it fixed and action will be taken if any lapse is found on the part of any official,” the Commissioner added.