Srinagar June 7: Taking strong exception to the brazen violation of Srinagar’s Master Plan (2001-21) by the state government, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Thursday assailed the “arrogance” with which public opinion on the skewed bridge over Jhelum near Raj Bagh was being treated.
 In a statement PDP spokesman, Naeem Akhter said, of particular concern was the observation of a minister that “violation of Master Plan was no big issue” made in a news report on the subject today.

BRIDGING PROBLEMS
Akhter said the proposed bridge is likely to create more problems of traffic congestion than it would solve. “It simply shifts the problem from one point to another at a huge cost to exchequer,” he said. And in the process it could create a complete traffic chaos in the City as it would open into the City’s most congested but commercially important part, he said.
 “Instead of trying to thin the traffic on the Residency Road the proposed link could create another roundabout in the middle of it with no increased carrying capacity on either side,” the spokesman added.
 Urging the government “not to sit on prestige and listen to the views” of stakeholders on such issues of public importance, the spokesman said, Srinagar was currently facing acute traffic problems.
 “The tourist area around the Dal Lake is generally clogged and the two main entry and exit points to City at Panthachowk and Parimpora present virtual nightmares for the commuters. Work on the Narbal widening project is on for the last six years and is nowhere near completion. These and other bottlenecks cannot be resolved by construction of another bridge over Jhelum which incidentally has the maximum number of bridges for any City over a river,” Akhter said.

RECORD NO OF BRIDGES
“In a span of half a kilometer between Shergarhi and the Ram Munshi Bagh there are five bridges which must be a world record,” he said and wondered how another bridge could help streamline traffic in absence of the corresponding increase in the carrying capacity of roads that feed them.

WHY DESPERATE FOR BRIDGE?
The spokesman said government’s insistence on having a bridge in the face of strong expert and general opinion leads to the inevitable conclusion of vested interest operating in crucial developmental matters. “The minister’s assertion that ‘violation of Master Plan was no big issue’ only confirmed the suspicion that there was more in the project than what meets the eye,” he said.

NC ‘UGLIFIES’ CITY
The spokesman said from the observation of the Minister it was easy to conclude why and how every National Conference government only added to the ‘uglification’ of Srinagar.
 Akhter alleged “it was obvious that the plight of the City, its disastrous degeneration and ‘slummization’ is a direct result of NC’s complete disregard for laws and rules.” “How can a government that violates its own rules with such arrogance enforce them on others and no wonder that everybody is getting away with what they do with the City?” the spokesman argued.

SKEWED AFTER HUNCHBACK
He said the skewed bridge would be another “gift to the City from NC after it reconstructed Amira Kadal a few decades back with a hunchback”.
 “The deformity in Amira Kadal was attributed to government’s sacrifice on engineering principles for the business interests of the ruling family and now the skewed bridge will only add to the genre for similar considerations,” the spokesman added.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST