Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 20: In a testimony of prevailing administrative inertia in the Roads and Buildings Department, a vital bridge constructed with the objective of providing alternate road connectivity to the holy town of Katra, is lacking approach road during the past over four years. More shockingly, the authorities concerned have failed to take any result-oriented step despite the slackness having been pointed out at the highest level about a year back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in order to provide alternate connectivity to Katra town from Domel road through Nangal, Parnote, Sool and Magal villages, the then Executive Engineer, Roads and Buildings Division Katra in September 2007 proposed construction of motorable bridge over Magal Nullah along with approaches at an estimated cost of Rs 1.50 crore.
The project, which was to be completed within a period of one year, included provision of Rs 77 lakh for construction of 25 meter span motorable steel girder bridge and Rs 10 lakh for land compensation. However, the land for approach roads was not acquired before taking up of execution of the project. The construction of the bridge was completed in March 2009 at a cost of Rs 73.40 lakh, sources said.
In July 2009, the cost of the project was revised to Rs 1.96 crore for funding its balance works worth Rs 1.21 crore. But the provision for land compensation was not kept in the revised project, sources informed, adding the work on the approach roads which was allotted in October 2009 to a contractor at a cost of Rs 70.26 lakh could not take off due to land dispute with the locals for non-payment of land compensation, sources said, adding “all this happened as the Executive Engineer failed to ensure encumbrance free land before taking up the work on the project”.
They said that the failure of the department to acquire land for approach road of the bridge before allotment of work has resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 73.40 lakh during the past over four years as till date the issue of approach road has been hanging in balance.
“The intensity of the slackness can be gauged from the fact that the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned authorities nearly a year back but till date the bridge lacks the approach road on one side thereby defeating the objective of providing alternate road connectivity to Katra town from Domel”, sources regretted.
When contacted, Executive Engineer R&B Division Katra, Tarseem Lal Thapa said, “the bridge was constructed to provide alternate link to Katra town so that the inhabitants of several villages could reach their areas without travelling to holy town”, adding “there were twin objectives behind this project—-providing short-cut link and reducing traffic load on the main road”.
He, however, admitted that one approach road of the bridge was yet to be constructed for want of land acquisition. “We are in the process of convincing the owners of the land, which comes under the approach road. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved very shortly”, he added.
In response to a question, the Executive Engineer said that the approach road on another side has already been carved out but its black topping was awaited.
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