Farmers under the banner of ‘Punjab Kisan Sabha’ staged a symbolic protest on Saturday by planting paddy saplings in the waterlogged and pothole-ridden stretch of the Fazilka-Ferozepur highway passing through Jalalabad town.The protesters planted paddy in the potholes to highlight the poor condition of the road, which has deteriorated further due to continuous rainfall. They alleged that stagnant rainwater has compounded the problems faced by commuters.Punjab Kisan Sabha president Ashok Kamboj said the stretch of the Fazilka-Ferozepur highway passing through Jalalabad has become virtually unusable because of its damaged condition. He said large and deep potholes have developed on the road, causing inconvenience to commuters and leading to accidents involving two-wheelers.The farmers alleged that the ruling party’s claim of heavy spending on infrastructure had failed to translate into better road conditions, as reflected in the deteriorating state of the highway.Responding to the protest, Rohit Kadwasra, Executive Officer of the Municipal Council, Jalalabad, said Public Works Department (PWD) had already initiated the process of upgrading the road and that the work would be completed soon. He added that the Municipal Council had decided to construct drains on both sides of the road to ensure proper drainage of rainwater. He said road and drain construction would be completed after the rainy season.