The Sikh Times ! Exclusive Story !
NEW DELHI: A serious complaint highlighting the hardships faced by lakhs of residents of North Delhi due to traffic route changes near the Delhi Legislative Assembly has been submitted to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The complaint has been written by Gurcharan Singh Babbar, Editor-in-Chief of Qaumi Patrika National Daily Newspaper, author and social worker, urging the central government to intervene in the matter and provide relief to the affected residents.
According to the complaint, after becoming the Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, who resides in Shalimar Bagh and represents the same constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, reportedly ordered major changes in the traffic routes between Model Town near Police Lines and the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
It has been alleged that traffic signals were removed and roads were cut in the middle to create U-turn routes so that official convoys traveling from the Chief Minister’s residence to her office could move without interruption.
However, these traffic alterations have reportedly caused enormous inconvenience to the general public. Thousands and even lakhs of residents living in surrounding areas are facing serious daily difficulties.
Residents from Vijay Nagar, Hudson Line, Police Lines, Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Civil Lines, Mall Road, Timarpur, Mukherjee Nagar, Indira Vihar, Bhai Parmanand Nagar, Radio Colony, Tagore Park, Hardev Nagar, Gandhi Vihar, Nehru Vihar and Burari are now forced to travel nearly two extra kilometers in order to reach their homes, workplaces, schools, colleges, hospitals and other destinations.
The situation has become particularly difficult for the large number of students living in paying guest accommodations in Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, which is one of Delhi’s biggest education hubs where thousands of students from across the country come for coaching related to competitive examinations. These students, along with local residents, daily commuters, commercial drivers, auto-rickshaw operators, e-rickshaw drivers and cab drivers, are reportedly facing serious inconvenience due to the altered traffic system.
The area is also located near one of Delhi’s largest vegetable markets where thousands of commercial vehicles pass every day. Because of the newly created U-turn system and the closure of certain direct routes, traffic congestion has increased significantly. In many cases vehicles are forced to take long detours, resulting in unnecessary delays.
The complaint also raises serious safety concerns. Because roads have been cut in the middle and U-turns introduced on busy roads, there is a constant risk of accidents. Heavy traffic congestion often leads to disputes and altercations among commuters.
Emergency services are also reportedly affected. Patients trying to reach hospitals, people traveling in urgent situations, or families going to cremation grounds during times of bereavement are forced to take long detours of nearly two kilometers.
Another major concern mentioned in the complaint is the economic and environmental impact of these traffic changes. Thousands of vehicles are burning unnecessary quantities of petrol and diesel every day, resulting in fuel wastage amounting to crores of rupees every month and also increasing pollution levels.
Because the matter involves the office of the Chief Minister, many citizens feel hesitant to raise their voices openly. However, the complaint states that resentment among residents of the entire region is steadily increasing.
The letter therefore requests the Union Home Minister to kindly intervene and direct the concerned authorities to urgently review the matter. It urges that the roads between Delhi Police Lines and the Delhi Legislative Assembly should be reopened in their original form and the traffic signal system should be restored so that normal traffic movement can resume.
The complaint further appeals that leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including the party’s National President Nitin Nabin and Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, should personally visit the site and observe the situation on the ground.
A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu, all Cabinet Ministers of the Delhi Government, the Chief Secretary of Delhi, and the Delhi Police Commissioner, requesting them to instruct the traffic authorities to reopen the closed routes and remove the road cuts created for U-turns on busy roads.
The letter concludes by stating that if prompt corrective action is taken, it will not only relieve the suffering of lakhs of residents but will also restore public confidence and goodwill.