Gala road show round the corner!

Gala road show round the corner!
New look Bathinda-Goniana highway soon
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 24
To charm voters in the forthcoming municipal corporation elections, the ruling party is going all out to present to the city a revamped Bathinda-Goniana highway. To complete the assignment within the stipulated time, the Improvement Trust officials are leaving no stone unturned.
The Rs 11 crore project aimed at giving the Bathinda-Goniana road a makeover was launched in March last and is expected to be completed in August.
As per the plan, the 4.8 km stretch of the road, from Rose Garden to ITI Chowk, will have five-feet broad pavements on both sides with interlocked double coloured tiles. Both sides of the road would also facilitate parking for vehicles. Maroon and grey colour tiles would work as frame line for every vehicle. It would be 6 inches above the metalled road.
The main attraction of the road, the 155 illumination poles of a new style, have been purchased from Kolkata. Keeping the future plan for a local bus service in mind, bus lanes are also being constructed.
The centre of the road, which was having a bit of greenery, is now being demolished and a new concrete divider is being constructed in its place. As per the plan, a two feet iron grill would be raised for separating both sides of the road.
At a distance of 18-feet, on the footpath, at least one tree of around 15-feet height would be planted on both sides of the road. There is also provision for benches and traffic posts on the roadsides.
The project has also a provision for the speedy flow of drainage, especially during the rainy days. These channels would be connected with the main sewer line existing under the road.
The work of utility ducting is also going on, which would carry all wires of BSNL phones and the electricity department.
Confirming details, administrator, Improvement Trust, K.K. Yadav said, “It is project worth Rs 11 crore, out of which Rs 6.75 crore is for civil works while Rs 2 crore is for electrical works. Rs 2.18 crore has been sanctioned for the PSEB out of which half the money has already been deposited with the department concerned for the underground wiring. After this, the B&R department will also work on the road.”
When asked about the controversy that had erupted with the forest department claiming that both sides of the national highway are part of a green belt and any construction in it could not be permitted without the prior approval of the union government, he said, “It has been resolved as we have filed a reply saying there is no tampering with the green belt. We have sent them the project file according to which 1,000 trees would be planted on the roadsides.”