Hoshiarpur: Roads play a crucial role in economic prosperity, reducing accidents, and alleviating mental stress. Therefore, the structural integrity of roads and the proper construction of berms depend on a commitment to quality work, not on corruption or unscrupulous elements. Labour Party President Jai Gopal Dhiman and Lahimbar Singh strongly condemned the failure to adhere to regulations during the construction of the road stretching from Kharoudi to Vadha—which spans 13.200 km in length, 15.500 m in width, and has a berm width of 1.1 m—stating that these major flaws are immediately apparent upon using the road. The total project cost was reported as ?842.90 lakh, with an additional ?54.71 lakh allocated for road maintenance over a five-year period.
Maintenance expenses were scheduled as follows: ?6.74 lakh for 2023–24, ?8.09 lakh for 2024–25, ?10.69 lakh for 2025–26, ?13.29 lakh for 2026–27, and ?15.90 lakh for 2027–28. Maintenance activities include clearing vegetation, repairing rain-induced erosion, restoring earthen berms, filling potholes and cracks, repairing roadside drains twice a year (though the drains are nowhere to be seen), repairing culverts, maintaining road infrastructure, and whitewashing culverts. Dhiman stated that expert engineers from the concerned department quietly inspected and approved the incomplete road, even though in many places there is absolutely no trace of roadside drains, nor are the one-meter-wide road shoulders (berms) visible on either side.
The situation is such that in many locations, the width of the shoulders appears to be barely between 6 inches and 1 foot, whereas on paper, it is recorded as 3 feet. He noted that while the road width appears to vary—10 feet in some places, 13 feet in others, and 14 feet elsewhere—the actual requirement is a width of 16.5 feet, excluding the 6-foot shoulders.
It is surprising that several high-ranking officials have inspected this road; incorrect reports were likely submitted to the government, and the road must have undergone an audit as well. Dhiman remarked that there was a time when the work culture of the PWD and B&R departments was highly respected, with road maintenance staff (beldars) patrolling the roads and ensuring immediate repairs for any damage.
Deep-seated corruption in road construction is the real cause of road accidents. This road was built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), yet it suffers from so many flaws. The central government speaks of corruption-free management, yet corruption runs rampant right before its eyes.
Dhiman pointed out that electricity poles stand in a hazardous condition along the road shoulders, and near Hukumatpur, one can see drinking water tanks raised two feet above ground level, garbage heaps, and animal dung along the roadside. This has turned the road into a high-risk zone for anyone traveling on it, given the dangerous proximity of the electricity poles. If such flaws exist, what is the benefit of spending crores of rupees in the name of road safety when actual road safety is missing? He stated that road shoulders are a crucial component of road safety regulations. Essential indicators—such as traffic signs, warning boards, and markings for schools and zebra crossings—are missing from this road, even though they play a vital role in maintaining smooth traffic flow. Regrettably, corruption extends even to the installation of traffic signs. Will the Central Government now hand over the investigation to the CBI so that the embezzlement of crores of rupees can be exposed?