Srinagar, Feb 14: Different departments are passing the buck when it comes to repair of defunct streetlights Lal Mandi Footbridge, a vital link with the City centre.
 For many months the streetlights at this bridge on Jhelum have gone out-of-order making it inconvenient and even risky for the people to cross the bridge during the evening hours.
 “To avoid traffic mess, I used to park my vehicle at the other end near Lal Mandi and walk it everyday to reach Lal Chowk. But it’s too risky to walk in the dark,” said a local Altaf Ahmed.
 The bridge was one of the prestigious projects of the then Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led coalition and was inaugurated on July 13, 2004 amid much pomp-and-show. Mufti and his Congress colleague Mangat Ram Sharma had jointly inaugurated the bridge on the Martyrs Day.  
 But for now, no department is ready to own the responsibility of the bridge lighting maintenance.
 The City page reported the issue months back and responding to query, a senior official in the Roads and Building (R&B) Department had said that he would get the lights repaired. After two months, he responded that the repair work of the defunct lighting system was not their responsibility but that of the PDD.
 “I’ll ask them to get it done,” he added.
 The PDD, however, said the street lighting wasn’t their domain.
 “May be the R&B or the SMC has do it,” a PDD official said.
 When the R&B Minister GM Saroori was apprised about the issue, he termed it a “genuine problem”.
 Saroori, however, said the lighting wasn’t the R&B domain even though the department had constructed the bridge.
 “But now that no one is taking the responsibility of lighting repairs, we will get it done on priority basis,” Saroori told Greater Kashmir.
“TO AVOID TRAFFIC MESS, I USED TO PARK MY VEHICLE AT THE OTHER END NEAR LAL MANDI AND WALK IT EVERYDAY TO REACH LAL CHOWK. BUT IT’S TOO RISKY TO WALK IN THE DARK.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST