Bad roads: Surajpur residents look for 'missing' legislators

Noida: Fed up with the condition of roads that have not been repaired in over two years, residents of Surajpur village in Greater Noida took out a protest on Tuesday carrying a banner that said anyone who locates the “missing” local legislators would be rewarded with Rs 501. The banner also had pictures of MP Mahesh Sharma and MLA Tejpal Nagar .

The protesters alleged that they had approached all authorities, elected representatives and officials. But nobody has paid attention to the dismal condition of the 1,200 m-long Surajpur Bhati road, they said.

“The road has been in a bad condition for several years and for the past two years, we have been chasing the authorities. But we have not got any help. Even slight rain leads to the road getting inundated and people are then locked up inside their homes. Children are not even being able to go to school,” said Jitendra Kumar, one of the protesting residents.

Others said that of the 1,200 m, a 300 m stretch around a Shiv temple is the worst-hit. Sanitation work is also irregular, and the street is cleaned up once in two months, residents alleged.

The drains in the area are also choked leading to waterlogging . “I have stayed in this area for 25 years now and I own a house here since 2005. The road in front of our home is neglected and we have rainwater accumulating up to two feet after just an hour’s rain. We have made complaints to the MP and the MLA several times. But they always vanish after the elections . That is why we came up with the banner,” said Suresh Singh, another protester.

Residents said that they will stage a protest everyday until the road is repaired.

Dadri MLA Tejpal Nagar assured the residents that the road would be repaired soon. But he did not explain why the roads were not repaired in the past couple of years. “We are not missing and we are very actively involved with the residents. If the area comes under an authority, it will be repaired at the earliest. I will ask the Greater Noida Authority to look into the matter,” Nagar said. Despite several attempts, Sharma could not be contacted.