Kaloosa Bridge misses 6th deadline, ERA fails to keep promise

Bandipora, Feb 3 : Even after many assurances from the authorities, Kaloosa bridge-vital link connecting Bandipora with Sopore has missed the sixth deadline.

 The work going on the bridge at snail’s peace has irked the locals who say that the department seems to be defunct in the district as the vital projects are yet to be completed even after missing half a dozen deadlines.

 Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) had begun the work on the Kaloosa bridge in July 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 4.40 crore.

The bridge was to be completed by July 2010. The then government had set December 2010 as the first deadline which was extended to July 2011. Later, December 2011 was set as the third deadline which was again extended to July 2012. As if it was not enough, the July 2012 deadline was also not met after that ERA missed the September 2012 deadline and lastly it missed another deadline of December 2012.

“Ganderbal and Bandipora were made districts at the same time however the pace of work is faster in Ganderbal than in Bandipora,” said Muhammad Sayeed, a local.

 Kaloosa Bridge is not the only case. The vital projects under construction in the district since it creation in 2006 include Athwatoo, Bonkoot, Gamoora Bridge and Mini Secretariat.

 “Construction of Mini-secretariat started at the same time in Ganderbal and Bandipora,” said another resident Ali Muhammad Shah. “However in Ganderbal it was completed two years ago,” he added.

 Athwatto, Bankoot and Gamroo Bridges were to be completed in 2011. However two years have passed since then and the bridges are yet under construction.

 While construction work on these bridges is underway form past five years, “the Mini Secretariat construction project has become a live example of the failure of district administration as well as the state,” said Ali Muhammad.

 Officials in the department alleged that the higher ups have given a free hand to supervisory staff who in turn in connivance with concerned contractors are working at a slow pace in order to escalate the costs with each passing year.

 Talking to Greater Kashmir Director ERA OP Chadgall said the bridge construction is almost complete.

 “The work on the bridge is almost 95 percent complete it will take a few more months  to conclude the work” he said.

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SA/EN