Srinagar, Feb 24: Call it face saving or hiding of facts, but the official statement by the Roads and Buildings department ministry that the much awaited Hyderpora flyover would be ready by this yearend is apparently nothing more than a jugglery of words. Reasons: Not the complete structure but only half the portion of the flyover is scheduled to be completed by December end.
 Just yesterday, the R&B Minister GM Saroori after chairing a high level meeting in Jammu said the flyover would be completed by the yearend. The meeting was called to review the work as the earlier set deadline of July couldn’t be met. But what is expected to be ready by the new deadline is one of the two tubes of the flyover while the work for the rest of the structure could continue for months to come. 
 Greater Kashmir learnt from reliable sources that the following chronic delay in the completion of the work, the authorities at the Jammu meeting finally resolved that the deadline be limited for a portion of the mega structure.

THE MEETING
 The meeting amongst others was attended by Commissioner Secretary, R&B,  Mehboob Iqbal, Chief Engineers of R&B, Srinagar and Jammu, Chief Engineer, MED, Kashmir besides officers and representatives from National Highway Authority of India and M/s Vollacaha Co.
 Sources said the moment the Minister was informed the work couldn’t be completed by his July 2010 deadline, he asked how much more time it would take.
 The Minister as per an official handout, said expeditious completion of the Hyderpora flyover was essential to overcome frequent traffic jams in uptown city, adding that it would improve traffic movement in Srinagar city to a great extent.
 On this the R&B officials and the project executing agency replied that it could take more than a year to complete.
 “On this the meeting decided that it was better to set deadline in phased manner by setting December end as the limit for one of the two tubes of the flyover,” the sources said.
 A confirmation to this lies in the concluding line in the official handout released Tuesday.
 “The Minister was assured that the one tube of the flyover would be ready by December this year,” reads the last line on the flyover issue.

THE PAST FAILURES
 The work on the flyover to connect the bypass, which intersects the Airport Road at the Hyderpora square, was started some four years ago.
 The Rs 62.95 crore flyover project was slated to be completed in 18 months. But till now the work is incomplete.
 Apart from causing inconvenience in public movement, the construction work reportedly caused damage to many building structures in the vicinity.
 Many a resident have repeatedly complained that their houses developed cracks due to the digging of deep bores for the construction of flyover pillars.

OFFICIALS CONFIRM
 Despite repeated attempts, the R&B Minister couldn’t be contacted for comment. When contacted, senior official in the R&B admitted that only one of the tubes would be ready by the yearend.
 “Basically, it’s a four lane structure comprising of two tubes with each tube having a two way. One of the tubes will be ready by December and will facilitate the two way traffic,” Chief Engineer R&B told Greater Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST