Mohali: Half-finished Golf Club road widening project poses danger; to be completed quickly, says MLA

Former councillor Sukhwinder Singh Barnala said, “The problem is of departmental blame-shifting. First, they said the contractor left the job midway, then they claimed that the permission to power shutdown is pending.”

Adding to the chaos, locals say, the Municipal Corporation has turned part of the road into a garbage dump, making the area filthy and nearly impassable. The open sewage drain, next to the school, got damaged during the construction, posing a danger.

Residents said that despite repeated complaints, no inspection was carried out. “Officials act only after tragedies,” Amarjeet Singh, a resident, said, adding: “Residents have given a memorandum to MLA Kulwant Singh, seeking his intervention and ensuring GMADA resumes work immediately, warning that the neglected site is a disaster waiting to happen.”

Asked about heaps of garbage being dumped there, Mohali Municipal Corporation Commissioner Parminderpal Singh said, “The issue has just come to my notice. The garbage will be removed soon. The remaining work along the roadside falls under the GMADA’s jurisdiction, not the MC’s.”

When GMADA officials were approached for their response, they explained that the delay in completing the work was due to pending approval from the electricity board. “We requested the electricity department multiple times to shut the power line temporarily, but the necessary permit has not yet been issued. Once the permit is granted, the remaining roadwork will be completed immediately,” they said.

MLA Kulwant Singh, too, said that the issue just came to his attention. “I have spoken with the executive engineer (XEN) of the electricity board on-site and directed him to expedite the permit process so that residents’ problems can be resolved at the earliest.”

The MLA said that he also instructed the GMADA chief engineer to ensure “the remaining damaged portion of the road is repaired without delay. The work must be completed quickly to prevent any untoward incident and to provide immediate relief to the public”.

“I have also directed the MC Commissioner to immediately clear the road filled with garbage. I will inspect the road and check the work progress,” the MLA added.