| Politicians, bureaucrats hijack BC Road-Ambphalla flyover project | | | Et Report
JAMMU, Sept 3: Despite being avowed by the government five years back, the much anticipated project to construct a flyover from BC Road to Amphalla, have been shelved owing to political squeeze.
Sources said in order to combat the traffic congestion in Jammu, the project was approved at the cost of Rs 18.4 crore in year 2007-08 and the road- widening needed from Shakuntla Chowk, Balwinder Chowk and Ambphalla connecting Jail Road and New Plots- Janipur Road.
They further said that Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) was asked to prepare project but it was stressed to go for road widening on both-sides in first phase.
Sources added that the said project was to be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the present estimate of Rs 95 crore. Sources maintained that among the two flyovers recommended by the state government included Bikram Chowk to Satwari and BC Road to Amphalla.
The BC road flyover was on the priority but, due to the disruption of few political and influential persons as they are having residential and commercial properties around the site, the work is still pending. It is pertinent to mention here that the then Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had shown keen interest to construct two flyovers in Jammu and an alternative road to High Court at Janipur, to smoothen the traffic problem in Jammu but after he moved to the Centre, the work on these projects was put on halt despite the fact that traffic congestion went on increasing in the winter capital.
The alternative road up to the High Court complex at Janipur from Manda was also conceived to ease traffic congestion on the New Plot, Janipur Road five years back but the project had also been placed in the cold storage while the problem of traffic congestion had aggravated manifold over past few years especially during the Darbar move. |
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