Ravi Dhaliwal
MLA Aruna Chaudhary has pulled off a coup of sorts by impressing upon the Punjab Government to build a railway flyover at its own cost which will connect Dinanagar with a cluster of schools, colleges and villages.
Chaudhary, a three-time legislator, is the daughter-in-law of four-time MLA Jai Muni. Normally, whenever a rail overbridge or underpass is constructed, the Railways and state government share the cost. However, in this case, the MLA insisted the government should walk it alone as taking necessary permissions from the Railways and other departments was a cumbersome process and could delay the project. Her efforts bore fruit when the state government sanctioned the entire cost of Rs 55 crore following which the PWD started the construction process.
The other bridge being constructed, which also bears Chaudhary’s stamp, is the one connecting Dinanagar to a group of 12 villages located across the Ravi. Every year, the PWD builds a temporary structure. However, this has to be dismantled during the rainy season following which residents of 12 villages are cut off from the mainland for four months. Chaudhary seeks to ride to victory on these two bridges. Another major relief for residents is the construction of the 14-km-long Mirthal-Dinanagar road. Dinanagar has been upgraded from a tehsil to a subdivisional town. “This means we no longer have to travel to Gurdaspur to get our administrative work done,” said Sanjay Kumar, a local.
Dinanagar: MLA rides on road infrastructure promise
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