'No action to repair Patiala-Pattara road': Sangharsh committee escalates protest

The dilapidated condition of roads in the area have led to a formation of a ‘Road Sangharsh Committee’, which has been calling for the government to reconstruct the severely damaged road connecting dozens of villages to the Patiala-Patara main road.

Committee members, some of whom are government school teachers and use the damaged stretch daily, submitted protest letters to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav, and other ministers, highlighting the plight of residents, who have been inconvenienced by the deteriorating condition of roads for years.

Expressed frustration over the lack of action by the authorities concerned, committee members Jas Karan Sharma, Navjot Sharma, Kamal Kumar and Gurmeet Singh Johny said the Ghagga-Brahmanmajra road had become worse than a dirt path, causing inconvenience to the local population. Despite assurances that the Patiala SDM would address the issue, no concrete steps had been taken to repair the road, they added.

The committee members criticised both Central and state governments for neglecting the needs of rural communities. While substantial funds were being allocated for “irrelevant” projects, basic infrastructure requirements of villages were being overlooked, they said.

The committee planned to further escalate their protest if no action was taken to improve the condition of the roads, they added, stating that they intended to mobilise residents of the affected villages to participate in future demonstrations against the local administration, and the government.