Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 6: High Court today sought particulars of organizations who are dealing with building of bridges in the country to evaluate the issue of converting the motar-able bridge into skewed bridge at Rajbagh Srinagar.
Dealing with a PIL over the conversion of vehicular bridge into skewed bridge, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar directed for placing on record the name of such organization which is constructing bridges so that the issue of the bridge in question is settled as to whether the said bridge was appropriate for vehicular movement or it is fit as skewed bridge.
DB during the proceedings observed that there is no dispute the bridge at Rajbagh near Convent School was proposed to be constructed as motar-able bridge and thereafter converted into skewed bridge.
“Therefore it is necessary to have an independent agency which would give proper suggestion about the use of bridge as huge public expenditure incurred on the said structure”, DB mentioned in the order.
Recalling its previous order in which Court had directed to inform it the dates on which the proposal for building the skewed bridge for traffic at spot was mooted with the particulars and designations of persons who are responsible for recommending the construction of traffic bridge. Court today said this would be the last opportunity for the respondents or else Court would proceed with appropriate orders on next date of hearing in the matter.
Court on previous date while considering the technical report of JKERA had directed the authorities to ‘go ahead’ with the proposal for construction of pedestrian bridge at the site but with the rider that the same would be subject to opinion of amicus.
JKERA has suggested that it is not advisable to go for a motor-able bridge at the site owing to the fact that Height of Flood Level (HFL) post floods of 2014 necessitates raising of all constructing roads under reference.
Amicus to the PIL and Senior Counsel R A Jan vehemently opposed the opinion of JKERA and submitted before the Court that it is only figment of imagination of the agency that vehicular bridge would be disastrous.
He had sought help of engineers from outside to prove that the report of JKERA is not correct. It is mentioned when the PIL was filed way back in 2013 about the construction of the bridge and at that time Government stand was that the construction of bridge on spot for vehicular movement would ease out the traffic congestion in city and thereafter the said decision was changed resulting into filing of PIL.
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