Residents seek completion of Dabwali-Ellenabad stretch

Sirsa, June 25

Demanding the completion of a road, residents of several villages near the Goriwala sub-tehsil staged a protest on Monday. They staged the protest as the contractor left the construction work on State Highway-32 from Dabwali to Ellenabad midway.

Political activists and officials of the Public Works Department assured the protesters that the work would be completed within 15 days.

The protesting villagers said the road construction had been stalled for about one and a half years. The project, worth Rs 68 crore, involved the widening and strengthening of 33 km of road from Dabwali to Jiwan Nagar. The contractor initially worked swiftly but left a 4-km stretch from Goriwala to Matdadu incomplete. Villagers had previously protested eight months ago regarding this issue.

During the previous protest, the contractor cited non-payment as the reason for the incomplete work. Due to the eight-month delay, the road remains unfinished, causing numerous accidents and making it hazardous for drivers. This particular section has become notorious for accidents, resulting in several fatalities and serious injuries. Despite multiple complaints to the department concerned, no action was taken, prompting 14 village panchayats to organise another protest.

At the protest, Dabwali MLA Amit Sihag and PWD B&R SDO Lakhbir Singh assured the villagers that the construction would be completed within 15 days. However, the protesters reminded them that the contractor had made a similar promise eight months ago, which was not fulfilled. Frustrated by the continued delays, the villagers felt compelled to protest again in the scorching heat. MLA Amit Sihag mentioned that the issue was raised in the Assembly, and although efforts led to the resumption of the work, political developments caused the 4-km stretch to remain incomplete.

The protesters warned that if the road was not completed within 15 days, they would block the road. SDO Lakhbir Singh stated that the contractor had been given a written notice to complete the work, acknowledging the residents’ difficulties. He assured the villagers that the 18-month tender would be honoured, and the road would be completed within 15 days.