Chandigarh: No roads, only potholes: Congress plants BJP lotus cut-outs in craters

Congress councillor Gurpreet Gabi alleged that “due to BJP’s wrong policies, the Municipal Corporation has become bankrupt today”. He accused the ruling party of misusing funds in the much-publicised 24×7 water supply project. “A deal was made with a French company, but till now people of Chandigarh have neither got 24-hour water nor clean water,” Gabi said, warning that if the condition of roads did not improve, “people will make the lotus flower bite the dust in the Municipal Corporation elections next year”.

The protest drew a sizeable crowd and was monitored by the police to regulate traffic and maintain order. Several commuters expressed anger, citing vehicle damage and near-miss accidents caused by uneven roads.

Kesri said the agitation was not political theatre but a fight for public safety. “If the administration does not act promptly, we will intensify our protest,” he warned.

Locals who use the road frequently complained that there were so many potholes that the vehicles speed was reduced to a crawl. “One side of the road next to the central berm has become totally unusable because of craters, everybody tries to stick to one side where there is some semblance of a road,” said Harkirat Singh, an ex-serviceman who wanted to know if the administration was planning to subsidise shockers.

“At this rate all our vehicles will need new shockers very soon,” he said.

Neelam Paswan, who visits the Sector 26 vegetable market every week, complained that the stretch of road from the Sector 26 roundabout to the lake was nothing but a series of craters, big and small, especially near the roundabout.

Incidentally, a doctor in Mumbai’s Bhiwandi died due to a pothole on Sunday. His bike skidded because of the pothole and he was crushed to death by a truck.

Among those present were Congress general secretary Wasim Mir, Bikram Jeet Singh Happy, secretary Imran Mansoori, Youth Congress president Deepak Lubana, former Youth Congress vice-president Sandeep Kumar, Sanjeev Birla, former district president Pradeep Kumar, Youth Congress district president Prakul Kashyap, district president Dheeraj Gupta, Congress ward president Naresh Pandit, Harbhajan Singh, Ashu Atri, Harbans Singh, Aman Salaich, Narendra Singh Rinku, Ram Mehar Indora, Ved Prakash Mehra, and Manzoor Khan.

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