Chennai: Men and women attired in Gandhian white caps held a banner which read 'There is no road' as they stood in front of Venkatnarayana road in T. Nagar as motorists moved in and out of the potholes on the road.
The signature campaign started by the Aam Aadmi Party on the battered condition of roads in the city has gained pace with more than 5,000 people from 20 places signing on. The campaign started on November 27 after the rains battered many roads.
Mr Khaja Mohideen, AAP member who took part in one of the campaigns in K.K. Nagar on Sunday, says, "We started the campaign last week after the rains bared the skeletons of the roads. I have developed back pain due to the bad condition of the road near my locality which is near the high court."
The party conducted the signature campaign by identifying 20 locations across the city which have a perennial problem of bad roads. This includes East Mada street in Mylapore, Sixth Avenue in Anna Nagar, Paper Mills road Kolathur, Indira Nagar water tank junction,
With banners and Gandhian gear, volunteers stood at these spots and asked people to sign the petition which the party will be presenting to corporation commissioner Vikram Kapur on Wednesday. A volunteer adds, "People were more than ready to sign our petition. They are fed up with the situation."
The signature campaign also received some resistance. In Porur ward 153 four AAP volunteers were roughed up by local leaders. Later, police intervened and neutralised the situation.
State campaign convenor David Barun Kumar says, "Across Tamil Nadu, the case of roads is the same. There is a corruption nexus between officials and contractors. If not, how can one explain that roads which are supposed to be good for eight years are rubble in just two years?'
Ms M. Jennifer, a housewife and resident of Parry's Corner, who signed the petition, says, "The roads were bad even before the rains. Dust makes driving tough. The road from the high court to Stanley via Manali is the worst. Often, I have seen temporary work being taken up but within days, the road returns to its bad state."
The signature campaign also received some resistance. In Porur ward 153 four AAP volunteers were roughed up by local leaders. Later, police intervened and neutralised the situation.
State campaign convenor David Barun Kumar says, "Across Tamil Nadu, the case of roads is the same. There is a corruption nexus between officials and contractors. If not, how can one explain that roads which are supposed to be good for eight years are rubble in just two years?'
He adds, "It seems to be a accepted reality here in the country that after the rains, the roads are going to be bad, but rains happen in other countries, too, and there you do not witness a similar situation."
