2 years on, Cinema Road in Nabha awaits repairs

Two years after allegations of corruption surfaced, the 200-meter stretch of Cinema Road in Nabha remains in disrepair. In 2022, the district administration had registered an FIR against a road contractor and indicted six Municipal Council (MC) employees for allegedly favouring the contractor. However, despite the legal action, commuters still endure daily hardships.

The 50-foot-wide Cinema Road, a vital link through the main market area, connects to the veterinary hospital, civil hospital, railway station, bus stand and police stations.

In 2023, local residents protested the ‘unnecessary’ installation of interlock tiles over what was reportedly a smooth bitumen road. Responding to public outcry, the Patiala Deputy Commissioner ordered an inquiry and a halt to further work. Nevertheless, a portion of the road was subsequently destroyed, prompting the registration of a case against the contractor.

An inquiry later revealed that six municipality officials misled the administration by concealing facts, resulting in the release of a faulty tender. It was disclosed that the premix road had been constructed in 2020 at a cost of Rs 65 lakh, yet a new tender for interlock tiles was floated in 2021 for Rs 95 lakh, bypassing the three-year defect liability period.