Mohali: Road work begins ten days ahead of elections, halts just before polling

Residents of Guru Nanak Colony, Dera Bassi have been left perplexed by the construction of a concrete street, which started 10 days before the assembly elections, suddenly coming to a halt just before polling day. Local residents claim the work was only started to give an impression of development. However, the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) said that it has nothing to do with the elections.

“We had been urging the local Panchayat development officers tirelessly for a concrete street in the colony. The construction work was started merely 10 days before the date of the election and about 50 per cent of the work was completed by February 18, two days before the election. The work has stopped since then. We called the contractor responsible for making the street and he claimed that he could not do anything without material, which is provided by the block Panchayat department of Dera Bassi”, Gaurav, a local resident, said.

Jatinder, another resident, said, “The ramps outside our houses were broken for the construction of the street. As the work has been abandoned halfway, the ramps have not been rebuilt and we are not able to enter our houses easily. The contractor levelled the street, spread cemented mixed gravel on it and left. A handful of tiles lie dumped at one of the corners of the street.”

Guru Nanak Colony is situated on Mubarakpur road near Dera Bassi, which falls under the Dera Bassi assembly constituency and Patiala Parliamentary constituency.
When contacted, BDPO, Derabassi, Parneet Kaur, said, “The construction work will be completed shortly. It has nothing to do with elections. Many staff members were busy in the election process. The work will be resumed shortly.”