Srinagar, Dec 25: In a major embarrassment for the state government, the Centre has rejected proposal to fund the much needed construction of flyover at Sanat Nagar, a faulty square on the Srinagar Muzaffarabad highway, which has claimed scores of lives in the past few years, since  the road was widened to four lanes.
 Greater Kashmir learnt from reliable sources that following scores of deadly mishaps at the faulty square, the state’s Roads and Building department, headed by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had drafted a Detailed Project Report (DPR), for the flyover construction.
 The state is believed to have put the project cost at around Rs 500 million and subsequently sought the funding from the National Highway Authorities India (NHAI), the apex body looking after the national highway, which criss-crosses the country.

THE SETBACK
 In early 2010, following a public hue and cry over mishaps at Sanat Nagar square, often seen as  outcome of “engineering disaster”,  the then R&B Minister GM Saroori while chairing a high level meeting had asked the department to prepare a DPR on speedy basis so that the same could be sent to NHAI for funding.
 That time Saroori while talking to Greater Kashmir had confirmed that the Sanat Nagar square issue was discussed during the high level meeting.
 While admitting that the “messy square” was a deathtrap, Saroori had said: “We are looking for financial help from the Central Government as we’ve proposed construction of flyover just like the one at Hyderpora square.” He had termed the issue of “serious importance.”
 Sources said the preparation of the DPR took time and by then Saroori was sacked from the chair on some alleged charges and the ministry was taken over by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah himself.
 On Omar’s approval, the sources said, the DPR was tabled before the NHAI.

WHY NHAI?
 Even though the entire highway is looked after by the NHIA through Beacon and other agencies, a 17-Kilometer stretch between Athwajan and Parimpora, was handed over to the state’s R&B department for highway widening from two lane to four lane status. 
 Around Rs 170 crore were given to the R&B for the widening of the highway.
 But while the department ended up executing the project at snail’s pace, it seemingly forgot to draft a convenient design for Sanat Nagar square where the national highway intersects, the Old Airport Road and adjacent Rangreth Industrial area, which houses some leading industries and Valley’s sole Software Technology Park.
 With NHAI being the parent body looking after the highway, the state had pinned hope for the flyover construction funding on it.

DEADLY SQUARE
 Scores of people have died on the square as the drivers often get confused there on deciding which way to go ahead, given the apparent maze like design, conceived by the state’s R&B.
 And this as per traffic   experts has been cause of deaths there. Since last year alone atleast four people including a teenage girl Anna Javed died while her mother was seriously wounded in a mishap there.
 Traffic police officials too admit that the square design is faulty and causes mishaps.

GOVT SPEAKS
 When contacted the Minister of State for R&B, Javed Ahmed Dar confirmed that the Sanat Nagar flyover proposal has been rejected.
 “We had eyed on funding from the NHAI people, but they said there was no scope to fund the proposed construction,” Dar told Greater Kashmir.
 Admitting that the square had been accident prone, he said: “We’ll look for some alternative source of funding to go ahead with the project.”
 “We will have to anyhow generate resources to go ahead,” he added.
  Javed, however, couldn’t give a timeframe for that.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST