Mandi Board has no funds to repair roads in rural areas

Chandigarh, With no funds in its kitty, the Punjab Mandi Board is worried over the repair of rural roads. As per rules, a rural road is to be repaired every six years. But most stretches of the rural road network have not been repaired for the past eight to nine years.
“At some places, the road network has ceased to exist. It has become difficult for people to commute on such roads,” said Lal Singh, chairman of the Mandi Board.
“I am flooded with requests for the repair of roads in the countryside,” he said, blaming the previous government for creating a mess on this front.
The task of laying roads and repairing the existing ones is divided between the Mandi Board and the PWD (Buildings and Roads). But the Mandi Board funds the entire exercise.
About Rs2,900 crore is required to repair 23,000-km-long road network in villages. However, almost the entire income of the board is pledged with several banks, from which a loan of Rs550 crore has been raised for five years to complete projects.
There are three types of rural roads. One, that connect a town with another via villages. Two, that connect a village with another. And third, that lead to villages from the outskirts of rural areas.
Lal Singh said there was a 9,276-km network of roads which linked a town or a city with others through villages. “The first priority is to repair roads used the most by villages,” the board chairman said.
Then, there is an 8,600-km road network that links two villages. “The repair of this road network will be next on the priority list,” he said.
About the funds, Lal Singh said it was the most difficult question. “I will discuss the matter with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. One way out is to raise a loan for the repair of roads,” he said.
“The board will also approach the Centre that has some funds at its command for the rural road network,” he added.