Rs 43 crore plan and years of public inconvenience: What went wrong at Patiala’s Heritage Street

For Jaspreet Singh, a grocery store owner near Patiala’s renowned Heritage Street, it took six years to resume operations on the stretch connecting Samania Gate with Mahavir Mandir. The uneven red cobblestone road had become nearly impassable for vehicles, causing discomfort and damage to two-wheelers. Now rebuilt with concrete, the road allows for smoother commuting for shopkeepers and increased customer traffic.

The approximately 2-kilometer Heritage Street, once a political dream of then Punjab Chief Minister and Patiala MLA Captain Amarinder Singh, has been the center of controversy in Patiala for years. The Rs 43 crore project, initially slated for completion by December 2021, envisioned a heritage corridor inspired by the one leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

However, the plan never fully materialized, with only the cobblestone road and antique-style streetlights taking shape. Residents and shopkeepers criticized the project, expressing concerns over congestion, non-functional lights, and the choice of cobblestone material, which caused injuries to pedestrians.

Municipal corporation records reveal that around Rs 8 crore was spent from the original Rs 43-crore allocation, with the remaining amount returned to the Finance Department after the project’s failure to meet the deadline. Patiala MLA Ajit Pal Singh Kohli alleged financial irregularities, citing the high cost of antique-style streetlights when similar lights could have been purchased at a much lower price.

Patiala Mayor Kundan Gogia stated that the Local Bodies Department’s internal vigilance wing was investigating the project files for any anomalies from Captain Amarinder Singh’s tenure. The next step involves removing non-functional antique streetlights and installing conventional ones, which may require additional expenditure.