Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 31: The State Government has resolved to extend Bikram Chowk-Gandhinagar flyover up to Satwari Chowk, ensuring hassle-free movement of VIPs and others up to Airport from Civil Secretariat and other locations of the Temple city while BRICS Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be approached for the second phase of this project and the much needed Rehari Chungi-Amphalla flyover project.
Official sources told the Excelsior that in view of the increasing traffic congestion and to clear bottle necks on Civil Secretariat -Airport Road and also on BC Road-Rehari Chungi and Amphalla crossing, the Government contemplates to extend Bikram Chowk-Gandhinagar (Presentation Convent School crossing) flyover up to Satwari Chowk. The flyover will land about 500 meters ahead of Satwari Chowk on Airport – R S Pura Road while its other limb towards Pathankot National Highway will land almost at same distance ahead of Satwari crossing, ensuring hassle-free movement of the vehicles taking flyover route.
Sources further said that due to traffic congestion at several bottle necks enroute Airport including Bikram Chowk, Asia Crossing , Green Belt, Main Stop Gandhinagar, Nai Basti intersections besides always choked Satwari Chowk, several VIPs, tourists and other people generally get struck at these points. Even many lose their flights while being trapped in long traffic jams there. An urgent need has been projected to extend this important flyover project up to Satwari Crossing. The ERA has formulated 2nd phase of this project. The compensation amount has been worked out to the tune of nearly Rs 110 crore.
While the existing project is worth Rs 72 crore having length of 1.3 kms from Bikram Chowk raising point near main Tawi bridge up to Presentation Convent school Gandhinagar, the new project is being completed with the cost of Rs 125 crore. This flyover will have length of 1.7 kms besides two limbs of 500 meters each up to landing points.
Referring to BC Road-Rehari Chungi- Amphalla project, the sources said that this project was shelved in view of delay caused in land acquisition by the Revenue authorities, Jammu. Since the funding of Rs 35 crores for the land acquisition was involved and the international funding agency had the precondition to bear the land acquisition cost by the Government, the State showed less interest in completion of land acquisition process in time. The project was also said to be derailed by some vested interests in the then Congress-NC dispensation. Now, the Government has directed the ERA to prepare the new project. The project cost has now been escalated from Rs 58 crore to Rs 80 crores now, the sources said.
Sources in the R&B Department disclosed that BC Road-Shakuntla Crossing-Rehari Chungi-Amphalla Flyover project and Jewel Chowk-Canal Road projects were prepared and forwarded to ADB for the funding, under Trench-I of Loan -II Sector of the JKUSDIP Scheme. While the initial Rs 30 crore project for BC road up to Amphalla was sanctioned in 2007 by the ADB, the other one could not be cleared as some technical issues were involved.
For BC Road -Rehari Chungi- Amphalla flyover project, a compensation amount of Rs 35 crore was prepared and nearly 130 structures had to be fully or partially removed to acquire nearly 18 meter land including 9 meters each on both sides. The State Government had to pay the compensation part of the project and it was reluctant to pay the same. For the six long years, the Government failed to act and take a decision on the execution of project and ultimately, the ADB told the Government that since State is not interested, the project will be dropped. So this project gone from the hands in July 2013, as it was not seriously handled by the people at the helm of affairs.
Insiders in the department also alleged that this project of much public importance fell victim to the political conspiracy as some people whose land was being acquired for the project, derailed the project. Sources said that the ERA team conducted survey and it was found that out of the 130 structures being acquired many people were found in possession of State land illegally. They were not supposed to get the compensation of the land of which they were not the owners.
In fact the project with the hiked cost of Rs 58.76 crore from Shakuntla Crossing to Rehari and Amphalla was dropped by ADB as the required land could not be made available for the project in time. If completed it would have made free movement of vehicles from New Plot side and also towards old city at Mian Dido Chowk.
Chief Executive Officer ERA, Vinod Sharma when contacted said that green nod has been accorded by the Government to go ahead with the extension of existing Gandhinagar flyover project . He said that new detailed project report has been prepared by the ERA and the same is being forwarded for the funding to international agencies ADB, BRICS Bank and JAICA. Since BRICS Bank was recently raised with the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi involving Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, its operation is going to be launched shortly. In case of delay in this Bank’s operation, the main thrust will be again on ADB and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA) for managing funds.
Replying to a question, the ERA CEO said that Bikram Chowk, Satwari Crossing have become most congested points on Airport Road from City side moreover, BC Road, Rehari Chungi and Amphalla bottle-necks are also most trouble prone. Even the traffic problem has also compounded on Canal Road and Talab Tillo route. At present, the DPRs of these two projects have been prepared. He disclosed that compensation amount for public is not covered in the funds provided by the international funding agencies and this has to be borne by the State Government. This is the pre-condition for releasing the funds. He said that with the completion of these two major flyovers, the traffic congestion would be minimised to larger extent. He said that work on the Bikram Chowk- Gandhinagar flyover is going on war footing and it is expected to be completed by December 2016. The work on the second phase of this project would be launched immediately after the funding is arranged, the CEO added.
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