Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 28: In spite of the tall claims of the administration over making the twin capitals of erstwhile state smart and dynamic, the intelligent traffic lighting system is still a distant dream, making funds of crores of rupees lapse for no reason.
Reports inform that the matter pertaining to the installation of Intelligent Traffic Lighting System at new locations in Srinagar had been taken up with the Chief Engineer, PWD (R&B) Department, Kashmir, and notice for the delay in execution of work had been issued to the contractor recently. However, no progress had been achieved in the allotment of the second phase of the project to be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 10.46 crore. The project continues to remain incomplete.
Reports reveal that keeping in view the heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in consultation with Traffic police authorities proposed the installation and up-gradation of the Intelligent Traffic Lighting System in Srinagar city. Part-A: Installation of 21 new junctions: Rs 6.95 crore, Part-B: Upgradation of existing 20 fixed time standalone: Rs 4.23 crore, Part-C: Installation of Pedestrian Signal lights at existing 28 Junctions: Rs 0.64 crore, Part D: Standalone Mode Traffic Signals at 21 Junctions and Part E: Installation of Red light signal violation detector at one intersection: Rs 0.45 crore.
The project approved (December 2016) by SHPSC at an estimated cost of Rs 15.92 crore was bifurcated into two phases. Work on Phase I of the project was allotted at a cost of Rs 4.15 crore to a contractor for completion in six months. Phase-I installation of 5 Junctions, up-gradation of 5 Junctions, Standalone 10 Junctions, RLVD-1 Junction, and installation of the centralized control room at an estimated cost of Rs 5.46 crore.
Official documents reveal that the contractor could not take up execution of work from March 2017 to September 2017, due to pending permission for road cuttings from the Roads & Building (R&B) Department. The contractor finally started work earlier and had completed 65 percent of the work, as of September 2020.
“The claims that the smart city project is thriving in Srinagar could be falsified by the very fact that there has been no forward movement even in terms of installation of Intelligent Traffic Lighting System for which more than 10 crore rupees were allocated by the government. Imagine what would be the fate of other sub-projects aimed at making the city smart and making the latest facilities available to the citizenry,” says an official pleading not to be named in the report. |
