Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Residents of IBD Raisina Colony in ward 62 took out a funeral procession of their dilapidated road on Sunday, highlighting years of unfulfilled promises regarding its repair and widening.
The symbolic protest drew large participation from families including children, women and senior citizens, all demanding immediate action from authorities.
The colony, located adjacent to Oriental College, comprises 540 houses and plots with nearly 400 families residing there.
Locals have been raising the issue of road construction for past two years but no progress has been made. The two-kilometre stretch is not only narrow but also severely damaged, causing daily inconvenience to thousands of commuters and increasing the risk of accidents.
To express frustration, residents marched with drums and traditional instruments, carrying out a mock funeral procession from the colony to the Oriental College tri-junction.
The protest was organised under the banner of the IBD Road Construction Sangharsh Manch. According to residents, despite repeatedly approaching authorities, neither construction nor widening work has begun, making travel up to Khajuri village difficult.
The protesters said they would intensify agitation if road work didn’t begin soon. Though symbolic effigy was prepared for burning, residents decided not to proceed with effigy burning after discussions with public representatives, placing it aside instead.
File prepared
Councillor of ward 62 Rajesh Chouksey said the file for the road construction had already been prepared and approved but the budget was yet to be finalised. The proposal has been sent to the minister’s bungalow for clearance, where it is currently awaiting action.
