Rickshawpullers demand road repair before Pujas

Statesman News Service
RAIGANJ, Oct 2: Three days are left until Durga puja yet most of the roads and culverts remain in sorry shape. The residents as well as the rickshaw pullers expressed their concern over the road conditions and broken culverts which allegedly have made the area accident prone. Recently a section of rickshaw pullers under the banner of Raiganj unit of Paschimbanga Rickshaw & Van Chalak Union yesterday submitted a memorandum to both Mr Pradip Chakraborty, IC Raiganj police station and the chairman of Raiganj municipality in which they demanded immediate repair of roads and culverts in Raiganj to avert road mishaps during Durga puja. Mr Jainarayan Somani, the general secretary of West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce, a trade body of both North and South Dinajpur districts said more than 10,000 rickshaws move between Siliguri Moore and Kasba in Raiganj during Durga puja. But this year most of the roads on which the rickshaws will ply remain in bad shape. Some culverts at Ukilpara, Tulsipara and near Mohanbati which collapsed years before could not be repaired yet. If they are not repaired, any major road mishap may happen. The municipality authorities should start repair work immediately. The secretary of Raiganj unit of Paschimbanga Rickshaw & Van Chalak Union said the roads on which the rickshaws move during Durga puja are narrow and most of them remained broken. We requested the chairman of Raiganj Municipality to repair them a month before Biswakarma puja. But he did not pay heed to our request. The chairman of Raiganj municipality Mr Mohit Sengupta said they have already started repairs on roads which rickshaws will move. The same repair work has been introduced for culverts.
source: the statesman