A stretch of road leading to Mahatma Gandhi Park in Divar village was finally illuminated by me ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi as requests to the authorities fell on the deaf ears. We are celebrating 60 years of our Liberation this year but we are yet to reap the fruits of the same.

Successive governments as well as local panchayat bodies over the years have failed in their duties to light up this stretch of road even though resolution was passed and estimates prepared by the Electricity Department in the year 2014.

There is a case on the island wherein streetlights have been installed in private properties. Similarly, this stretch of the road has witnessed its asphalting only once since 75 years of our Independence, that too of sub-standard quality. One can imagine the condition of the road when trenches were dug by the PWD to lay additional water pipeline in the year 2010 that has never been repaired/restored till date in spite of my written request and subsequent directions by the PWD authorities which resulted in damages to my compound wall thereby incurring personal loss towards its restoration.

The pipeline has also not been commissioned till date. What a waste of tax payer’s money! We hear slogans on development rant the air but in reality no development is actually taking place where it is most essential.

Now that I am a senior citizen, I can say with confidence that nothing has ever changed since my childhood days in my locality.