= > Of incomplete district development projects, and meetings after meetings Road widening, flyover constructions pending for years; Footpath narrowing on; Coalition Govt satisfied. Srinagar, July 16: If proper road connectivity is vital for development, Srinagar is lagging far behind. Not only because of narrow and congested motorways awaiting widening for years, but the failure of the state government to fully implement even the centrally funded projects. The 17-KM Athwajan-Parimpora stretchof the prestigious highway looks a glaring example. > The highway mess While Pantha Chowk and Parimpora –the two ends of this highway stretch –have been awaiting widening for the past around seven years –it has been no less than a mess in-between as well –though over Rs 170 crores have been spent on the project funded by the National Highways Authority of India. It was after some seven years of delay that the ruling National Conference managed to inaugurate the much-awaited bridges at Lasjan, Chana Pora this year, and the latest at Tengpora. But the bridges are yet to get proper connectivity with the rest of the highway leaving it “accident prone”. And lighting is something, which the ruling coalition seems least bothered about on the highway. Interestingly, all the inaugurations on the highway including that of Hyder Pora flyover by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, have been without lighting into consideration. > Pending flyovers The much needed flyovers at Sanat Nagar, Bemina and Nowgam are nowhere in sight. Despite frequent deadly accidents at these busy squares, the state government has done nothing beyond annual assurances that flyovers would be constructed soon. > IT fortune fiasco Amid much of pomp and show, in 2000, the then ruling National Conference led government established a Software Technology Park at the industrial estate Rangreth. That time Kashmir was being compared with the Silicon Valley in US for fetching fortunes in the Information Technology sector because of the favorable and similar climatic conditions. Reports reveal that many IT majors, including Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) units were interested to foray into Kashmir markets. They visited Srinagar and some even went ahead for tie-ups with local entrepreneurs at Rangreth. Butthe road to the STP proved spoilsport. Many IT majors withdrew their plans because of the “bad road connectivity”. The widening of the road to Rangreth industrial estate, which houses some of the leading Kashmir-based firms and a reputed IT institution, has been pending since 80s. Though in 2007, the then government tabled a proposal to widen the project, the ruling coalition didn’t take it any step further. > The footpath narrowing The government has been blowing trumpet that the Batamaloo-Dalgate road has been widened. But except for the narrowing down of footpaths, which compensated for road widening and left little space for pedestrians, not a single private structure coming in way of the road widening project has been removed. The narrowing down of walkways projected as widening was ridiculed by many. Some three years ago, reacting to the criticism, the then MOS R&B Javed Dar had said government was exploring avenues for procurement of private structures coming in way of the Batamaloo-Dalgate widening. But till now, there’s no breakthrough, while R&B Minister Abdul Majeed Wani is not available for comment to plead the failure. > Batamaloo-Parimpora widening The Batamaloo-Parimpora widening, started over half-a-decade ago, is yet to see its completion though meetings after meetings, mostly chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and other officials, have been held quite regularly over the years. > ‘Exceptional will’ The ruling coalition (National Conference and Congress) seems to be showing the will to do, but only towards some exceptional projects like the Jehangir Chowk-Ram Bagh (JCRB) flyover and the skewed bridge construction. Though the twin projects have often been criticized as “anti-people”, the elected government is trying hard to make them realize. Despite being brazen violation of Master Plan, the work on skewed bridge, feared to be disastrous for the famed Bund is going on at full pace. About the JCRB flyover, the government says the work may be started on half of the project because the Jehangir Chowk-Hazuri Bagh stretchis facing litigations from stakeholders. Will the flyover end up as a half structure? Only those at the helm can predict. > The satisfaction The alleged criticism and controversies, surrounding the incomplete and half-left projects, could be many, but the ruling National Conference led government, which bagged all the eight Assembly constituency seats from Srinagar looks satisfied. Over the years in power, the NC ministers and other lawmakers from the party, including Chief Minister Omer Abdullah have been expressing satisfaction over the execution of development projects in the City.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 11:01:44 +0000
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