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| After HC formed committee for traffic regulation, JDA allots parking contract on busy BC Road | | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Apr 6: Two days after high court Chief Justice, Dr Aftab H Saikia (who retired today) and Justice FM Ibrahim Kaliulla ordered constitution of a high-level committee to suggest ways for traffic regulation on city roads, JDA took a step not in keeping with the court spirit and which was sure to add to the traffic chaos on the already congested and ever-busy B C Road.
JDA took all by surprise when it officially authorised "idle" parking on B C Road by alloting a contract in this regard to one Manoj Kumar Bakshi of Trikuta Nagar.
As per the division bench order, divisional commissioner Pawan Kotwal was the committee head. He would be assisted by high court registrar general.
JDA vice-chairman is also a committee member. Others included traffic police IG Hemant Kumar Lohia, transport commissioner, JMC commissioner, regional director of pollution control board, Jammu, and advocates -- D C Raina and AV Gupta.
The committee was directed to submit its report containing suggestions along with solutions within four weeks. The division bench held the view that it would be appropriate and necessary to constitute the high-level committee to examine the matter in depth and identify areas impediment to vehicular traffic and the issues ancillary thereto and thereafter. The HC order came on March 29 last. Two days later, i.e. on March 31, a JDA executive engineer astonishingly allotted the parking contract to Bakshi for one year against a "bid" of Rs 10,49,290. The copies of this order were sent to JDA vice-chairman, secretary, chief town planner, law officer and police, besides others.
Though JDA is part of the committee entrusted with the job of making suggestions to ensure smooth traffic flow, it allotted the contract for "collection of adda fee for all types of buses, tempos and taxies operating from BC Road side and minibuses and taxies from Gumat to Indira Chowk."
The KC Chowk-Jewel BC road stretch is a big impediment to the smooth traffic flow. It is already congested and driving through it is a real test of one's patience. Dotted all along by idly parked video coaches, taxies, cars and minibuses, traffic moves at snail's pace on it. A normal one, or two minute journey may take a vehicle operator 20 minutes, or sometimes even more than that.
Dozens of vehicles remain parked on either side of the road with impunity from law.
Now, the alloting of parking contract on it was likely to further add to the woes of the people and aggravate the already severe traffic problem as the contractor was sure to encourage maximum number of operators to park their vehicles on the road to earn profit.
Also, inter-state buses and Kathua-route buses, which were legally not allowed to be parked on BC Road, would now have no problem.
The parking on BC Road was strictly stopped over a decade ago after a powerful bomb blast that had claimed several innocent lives. The bomb was planted in an Ambassador car which was parked outside a shop near the Bus Stand entrance on BC Road. As there is huge rush of vehicles on this road stretch, saboteurs could do the mischief again. This road was to be kept free from all types of idle, or legal parking, felt police. JDA vice-chairman could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts. |
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