PSEB brings down heritage building to install a gate
Tuesday , Feb 09, 2010
Ludhiana:
Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) office at Fountain Chowk in Ludhiana seems to have thrown all caution to the wind and even some civic sense while planning an entry gate to the office. Not only has the PSEB opened a new gate at the busy cross-section where traffic jams are common, it has even razed a pre-Independence era building.

Additional Superintendent Engineer Pardeep Gupta said, “We needed this gate as we are setting up a sub-station at this place. A wider gate is required to bring in material and machinery. This gate is not for public use and will be opened only when the material has to be brought in.”

Gupta brushes aside the issue of the historic structure saying “this is the only space available to us and we had to utilise it”.

The office, which is situated near the State Bank of India Fountain Chowk, has two narrow entries away from the main road. However, in a recent development, the board opened a gate on the main road and is yet to decide what to do about the footpath and the billboards that would have to be removed to let traffic in through the gate. The point where this gate opens is at the bend of a busy road that leads to the Jagraon Bridge on one side and Mall Road on the other.

At the spot where this gate is being constructed, stood a room that dated back to 1938. The room has been razed to the ground. Workers at the site said, “The foundation of this room is very deep and we had a difficult time breaking it down. Even the construction of walls was very strong, nothing like what is done nowadays. The board could have preserved this slice of history but they do not seem to be bothered.