Early Times Report
Jammu, May 10: As the state government is all set to inaugurate Phase-I of Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover in Srinagar on May 11, the question remains whether the government would say sorry for inordinate delay in the completion of the project.
As per reports, the government is seeking a major media coverage for the inauguration of Phase-I of Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh Flyover Project with ribbons all set to be cut on May 11. However, what the government is trying to downplay and undermine is the fact that there was an inordinate delay to get the first phase of the flyover competed. Even after a long delay, the new deadline set was March 31, 2018. However, at that time there was not even 60 percent of the work finished with rest of the going on at a snail's pace. The government itself seemed at that time clueless as the delay took heavy toll on vehicular movement in the summer capital of the state.
Last year in November, labourers and technicians had gone for a strike at the site for their pending wages. Therefore, the project missed the deadline of its first phase which was earlier set as December 31, 2017.
Earlier, the incumbent R&B minister had set the deadline for the completion of the first phase as September last year. But there was only 50 percent of the work completed, forcing the Divisional Commissioner to set the deadline as March 2018.
On May 21 last year, the minister R&B had said that work on the project is apace and will be hopefully completed in September.
The project, on which work began in 2013, is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and executed by Economic and Reconstruction Agency (ERA).
The 2.4-km flyover too missed many deadlines due to dispute with shopkeepers, floods in 2014, and the 2016 uprising in Kashmir. Its completion is expected to reduce the travelling time from Jehangir Chowk to Hyderpora and will ease traffic jams in the city.
Meanwhile, apprehending wide scale backlash over snail's pace work, the government has tasked the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to steer the ship to its shore and monitor the work over the flyover.
Reports inform that the R&B is being slammed by one and all in Valley over the way it is monitoring the work of the flyover, the construction of which has led to chaos in the summer capital, resulting in traffic mess and wide scale snarls.
Interestingly, the incumbent R&B minister has so far set several deadlines for the completion of flyover and finally stating that it was not the nuptial knot of a boy and a girl that would be done within a time frame. His statement was viewed as his inefficiency.
Later on, setting one more deadline, the minister had stated that the first link of the flyover connecting Amar Singh College with Barzulla will be operational by the end of August 2017. However, the Divisional Commissioner in November stated that the first link will get operational by the end of 2017.
Later, it was announced that the remaining work of the flyover project will be completed in March 2018. The government claims that the flyover will decongest traffic in the city and ease the movement of commuters.
Taking the control now in his own hands, the Divisional Commissioner directed contractors to enhance the scale of labour at the site so that the project is completed in a fixed timeline.
He had also directed them to ensure that the construction material is covered properly with tarpaulins or canopies during transportation to different locations along Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover. |
