Punjab: Funds to be released under PMGSY for repair of rural roads, says Union minister Khadse

Union Minister Raksha Nikhil Khadse, who visited Patiala to assess crop and infrastructure losses, said funds would be released for the recarpeting and maintenance of rural roads covered under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). She said the state government would have to take the responsibility for repairing rural roads damaged by floods that do not fall under the PMGSY. Khadse directed the authorities concerned to prepare a detailed report on the extent of the road damage in Punjab so that repair work under the Central scheme could be initiated without delay.While visiting villages near the Ghaggar, she noted that many link roads had been washed away.“I have asked the Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, to submit a report at the earliest so that roads covered under the PMGSY can be taken up for repair work. The state, meanwhile, will have to ensure the restoration of the remaining roads under its jurisdiction,” she said.Residents of villages along the Ghaggar, including Sarala Kalan and Sarala Khurd, rue that the roads damaged in the 2023 floods were never repaired.

This year’s floods, they say, have completely washed away roads at several points, leaving behind only narrow strips of land for movement.

Riding his bicycle through a broken stretch, Makhan Singh, a farmer, vented his anger against the government. “After the 2023 floods, the road was in a dilapidated condition. We had urged the authorities to recarpet it and strengthen its edges, but nothing was done. This time, the road has been completely damaged,” he said.

He added the situation was no different in Sirkapra, Mangoli, Untsar, Kami Khurd and Chamaru villages, where the roads were equally bad.

Maneuvering through the broken stretch on his bike, Baljit Singh (45) of Sarala Kalan said commuting on these broken roads had become risky, especially at night. “In the absence of streetlights, one could fall or a vehicle could get stuck. The government must repair these roads at the earliest instead of waiting for a tragedy,” he said.

Eighty-year-old Satnam Singh expressed his worries as well. With a family wedding scheduled in October, he said his problems had multiplied. “My crop has already been destroyed, and now our village is cut off because of the damaged road,” he lamented.

Repeated calls and messages brought no response from Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Chairman Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board Harchand Singh Barsat and AAP MLA Ghanaur constituency Gurlal Ghanaur.