Prudence and discretion demand that preferred attention was given by the administration towards border areas and border residents but how authorities can prove to be indifferent and apathetic too towards not addressing the delay on completion of a vital bridge over River Chenab known as Pargwal – Indripatan , near India- Pakistan border at Akhnoor, is not known. This delay in construction and resultant absence of the vital bridge has resulted in troubles for thousands of border residents of the area. Had this bridge been completed and put to public use, it would have met the main requirement of the residents of the area as a short-route for areas like Pargwal, Garkhaletc to reac locations safely during cross- border firing along the border or in natural calamities like floods etc.
The main reason of the likes of the instant project in Jammu and Kashmir meeting the same fate is because of uncertain, erratic, suspended and delayed funds . Though the bridge is one of the Central Road Fund Projects , yet it is suffering from poor funding syndrome. Pertinent to note that the deadline for the completion of the bridge expected to cost an amount of Rs. 200 crore was initially fixed for December 2020 having a span of 1640 metres and 5 km approach but till date, since only 30 percent of the work is completed, it is unlikely that the rest of 70 percent would be completed in two and a half months by any standard especially when funds position is mired in haze of uncertainty. Till date, only an amount of Rs.40 crore has been disbursed and spent and demand for as much more amount having been forwarded to the concerned authorities has yet to be released.
Agreed that the devastating floods of 2014 dampened the gusto of preparations of the construction of the bridge like stationing of the heavy machinery, erecting of barracks for the labour force and other preliminaries reminiscent of starting a work of strategic importance, as a result of which, the work on the bridge had to bestopped but that does not justify the present status of the bridge. From the horrors of the flood, certain technical points learnt having been missed initially had to be incorporated in the design of the bridge to ward off prospective risks emanating from floods. Not only was the location of the bridge changed but the pace of work too was below the average which resulted in considerable delay in completion much to the imperilment of the local residents who were impelled to stage protests and adopt agitation(al) ways with intent to pressing for an early completion of the bridge. It is beyond comprehension that the problems of the border residents should be taken so casually who have to travel longer distances and expend more time in absence
of this bridge . Unless projects are classified and segregated according to theirurgencies and by the suffering border residents. The authorities should keep in mind and visualise the predicament and hardships even threat to the lives faced by border residents during cross border firing and shelling in absence of the basic facility of a bridge to cross over in lesser time to safer destinations. We urge the authorities concerned that full stock of the situation should be taken as to what precise causes were behind in not releasing the required funds for completion of this vital bridge and in the mean time arrangements should be made for releasing at least those funds which are stuck up in the pipeline . New deadline forcompletion of this bridge needs to be set in order that within six months it should be complete in all respects .
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