The Municipal Corporation (MC) has come under fire after recarpeting work was carried out during rain near Nabha Road, Leela Bhawan Road and Urban Estate on Saturday.
Several residents recorded videos of the work and uploaded them on social media, where the clips soon went viral.
Taking cognisance of the incident, Mayor Kundan Gogia ordered an inquiry into the matter. Gogia said the contractors would be summoned on Monday to explain the circumstances under which the work was carried out. A technical committee will also be constituted to inspect the quality and durability of the newly recarpeted roads, he added.
The controversy comes at a time when Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, during a recent visit to Dirba, had urged people not to allow water to stagnate on roads. He had said that waterlogging was the primary cause of surface erosion and significantly reduced the lifespan of roads. Residents termed the recarpeting exercise an eyewash and questioned the timing of the work.
“What kind of development is this? Roads are being recarpeted in the middle of the monsoon. The surface will soon deteriorate, another tender will be floated and contractors as well as officials will again make money. This is nothing but daylight robbery of taxpayers’ money,” alleged city resident Taranjit Singh Kohli. Another resident described it as a deliberate waste of public funds.
