The contentious Heritage Street project in Anandpur Sahib has once again become a political flashpoint after the road leading to Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib was inundated with rainwater today. Punjab Education and Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains blamed SGPC for the delay in executing the project.Bains, who represents the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, took to social media to highlight the waterlogging and alleged that the state government had sanctioned Rs 25 crore for developing the road leading to the Takht as a Heritage Street. The project also included a storm-water drainage system aimed at preventing waterlogging and ensuring that devotees visiting the shrine did not face inconvenience during rains, he said.Talking to The Tribune, Bains said he was facing embarrassment as the local elected representative as thousands of devotees visiting Anandpur Sahib every day were being forced to wade through a rainwater-filled road to reach Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib.“I have requested SGPC to clear the project in any form so that work on the Heritage Street can start,” he said.Bains alleged that objections raised by SGPC had stalled the project. Storm-water pipes procured by the government for the project were still lying on roadsides, he said.SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami did not respond to phone calls and WhatsApp messages seeking his response to the allegations.The dispute comes months after the Punjab Government decided to revive the ambitious project, but in a substantially modified form following strong objections from SGPC to the original design.Tourism Department had initially proposed a Heritage Street connecting the main Ropar-Anandpur Sahib highway with Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib. The plan envisaged an ornamental gateway at the highway, an all-white marble pathway leading towards the Takht and redesigning shops along the route to reflect Anandpur Sahib’s historical and architectural character.The proposal, however, met with resistance from SGPC. Its officials objected to the proposed gateway on the grounds that it could obstruct the direct view of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib from the main road. SGPC had also opposed the use of white marble on the approach road, maintaining that the route should remain motorable for devotees.The objections eventually led to the original proposal being shelved, forcing the government to explore an alternative alignment within the holy city.According to sources, the revised proposal submitted by the government envisaged starting Heritage Street from the road connecting Qila Anandgarh Sahib with Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and extending it towards Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Bhora Sahib. However, this proposal also did not get SGPC’s nod.For devotees, however, the continuing dispute has a more immediate consequence. Basic civic problems such as waterlogging on the approach to one of Sikhism’s most important shrines remain unresolved.