Panipat MLA Pramod Vij’s neighbours oppose construction of road divider in Model Town

Mukesh Tandon

Advertisement

Panipat, July 22

Neighbours of BJP MLA Pramod Vij here opened a front against him on the issue of a divider, which is being constructed on a road in Model Town here. The construction of the divider has also become a big issue in the city these days.

After complaining about the matter to the Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Subhash Sudha during his visit here last week, the residents on Monday lodged a complaint to Deputy Commissioner Virender Kumar Dahiya in the Samadhan Shivir.

Notably, two main roads in the Model Town — from Aneja petrol pump to Guru Teg Bahadur colony at a cost of Rs 1.80 crore and another from Eight Marla Chowk on the Jatal road to Easy Day Chowk at Rs 1.90 crore — are being constructed. These are considered to be the dream projects of MLA Vij, but people residing on this road were opposing the construction of the divider between the roads.

However, the finance committee of the Municipal Corporation (MC) had dropped these projects, but the MLA Vij had got special approval from the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and allotted the tenders for both projects.

The divider has also become a reason for a face-off between the BJP’s sitting MLA Pramod Vij and former councillor Lokesh Nagroo.

While Vij said the road would be beautified and no traffic jam problem would occur after the construction of the divider, the former councillor Nagroo came in support of the people and said if people don’t want the divider, it should not be constructed. The former councillor had stopped the work two days ago.

The complaint, signed by around 50 persons who all are neighbours of Vij, said the road was being widened from the Aneja petrol pump to Guru Teg Bahadur Colony. As many as 70-80 houses were on this road and the divider was being constructed in the middle of the road. The residents said this was a residential area and not a commercial road. They said after the construction of the divider, the people would have to face a lot of traffic jams.

The complainants said they were not against the beautification or widening of the road, but there was no need for a divider here. Residents Harish Mutneja, Anil Chhokar, Jagjeet Singh and Sandeep Jain etc appealed to the DC Dahiya to stop the construction of the divider on the road. DC Dahiya, after hearing the people’s complaint, handed over the complaint to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, for further action.

Vij said the road is 100 feet wide and it would be widened accordingly and the divider would also be constructed.

After the construction of the divider, the traffic congestion problem on the road would be resolved, Vij claimed.

After the construction of the divider, fancy lights would be installed here and trees would be planted on the side of the road, the MLA said. He said some people were opposing this only for political reasons. MC Commissioner Sahil Gupta said a complaint had been received and officials of the engineering wing had been directed to re-examine the project at the ground level and after that, the matter would be decided accordingly.

What residents say

• The divider was being constructed in the middle of the road.
• This was a residential area and not a commercial road.
• After the construction of the divider, people will have to face traffic jams.
• Not against beautification or widening of the road, but no need for a divider here.