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| Politically affluent impel remodeling of Satwari-Kunjwani road widening project | | R&B succumbs to arm twisting of former Minister's partner | | Akshay Azad
JAMMU, Aug 28: Virtually succumbing to the pressure exerted by politically affluent shopping mall owners and shopkeepers, whose establishments were likely to affected by road widening project from Satwari to Kunjwani chowk, the Road and Buildings department compromised the design of prestigious project of huge public relevance.
Sources in R&B department wishing anonymity informed Early Times that the main task under the four lanning of Satwari-Kunjwani project was to re-grade the road by way of earth filling and laying sub-grade so that the surface of the road was made smooth for vehicular traffic plying over it and there was no possibility of water logging on an elevated surface.
"But the earth filling work is compromised at certain sections of the road in order to appease the local shopkeepers and residents, whose shops/ houses/ shopping malls are on uneven surface on either sides of road stretch", sources said.
Adding further, they said that the work of widening was tendered to a contractor having close connections in the power corridors. "The contractor worked at his will and also compromised on the design and alignment plan to oblige some business houses who have their establishments in the area", sources said. They further said that the contractor was reportedly a partner of a senior former Cabinet Minister so he worked at his convenience and even compromised on the project plan at certain places to maintain a comfortable level for the showrooms and malls located in the area from the road.
"Owing to the political connections of the contractor, the R&B authorities were unable to exert any type of control on the contractor or enforce the work schedule", sources said. The 3.60 kilometers stretch starting from Kunjwani - the part 90 Km Jammu to Pathankot highway is being upgraded to four lanes under ambitious North- South Corridor project. While the up-gradation of major part of 84 Km has been completed last year by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the construction work on this 3.60 kilometer stretch was entrusted to the state Public Works Department (PWD), which is facing prolonged delay. |
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