Patiala, September 17: Union Minister Raksha Nikhil Khadse said the Centre will release funds for repairing and maintaining rural roads in Punjab under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), while responsibility for restoring other flood-damaged roads will lie with the state government.
Khadse, who toured flood-hit areas near the Ghaggar in Patiala district to assess crop and infrastructure losses, directed officials to prepare a detailed report on the extent of road damage so that repairs under the Central scheme can begin without delay. “I have asked the Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, to submit a report at the earliest so that roads covered under the PMGSY can be taken up for repair work. The state, meanwhile, will have to ensure the restoration of the remaining roads under its jurisdiction,” she told reporters.
Residents of villages along the Ghaggar river said repeated floods had left them cut off, with link roads badly damaged or washed away. Villagers in Sarala Kalan and Sarala Khurd recalled that stretches broken during the 2023 floods were never repaired, and this year’s deluge has left only narrow strips of land in their place.
Makhan Singh, a farmer riding his bicycle through a broken patch, vented his frustration. “After the 2023 floods, the road was in a dilapidated condition. We had urged the authorities to recarpet it and strengthen its edges, but nothing was done. This time, the road has been completely damaged,” he said, adding that conditions in Sirkapra, Mangoli, Untsar, Kami Khurd and Chamaru villages were equally bad.
Baljit Singh, 45, of Sarala Kalan, said commuting at night had become dangerous. “In the absence of streetlights, one could fall or a vehicle could get stuck. The government must repair these roads at the earliest instead of waiting for a tragedy,” he remarked.
Eighty-year-old Satnam Singh worried about being cut off ahead of a family wedding. “My crop has already been destroyed, and now our village is isolated because of the damaged road,” he said.
Repeated attempts to seek comment from Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board Chairman Harchand Singh Barsat, and AAP MLA from Ghanaur, Gurlal Ghanaur, went unanswered.
