Jakhar says no to flyover proposed by SAD ex-MLA

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 3

Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar has impressed upon the Railway Minister to construct either an underpass or an overbridge on the Tibri road railway crossing.

The MP said he had approached the minister after receiving numerous complaints from residents concerned. He got a taste of things on his last visit to his constituency last week when his own vehicle got trapped in traffic snarls near the crossing.

The previous MLA, Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, had proposed that a flyover be constructed from near Hanuman Chowk that would take traffic beyond the crossing.

Babbehali has financial interests in a shopping mall near Hanuman Chowk and he wanted the flyover to take off from that point, sources say.

However, his proposal has now been scrapped. Hundreds of shopkeepers too feared that there would be a loss in business if the flyover was constructed.

Sitting Congress MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra urged the MP to get the vexed problem solved following which the latter took up the matter with the railway authorities.

“A railway team from New Delhi has agreed to study the problem. Technical officials will take a final call whether to construct an underpass or overbridge. Things will be clear only after a few days. Residents will certainly get a respite be it an underpass or overbridge,” said Jakhar.

Pahra added that the bus stand, located in the heart of the city due to which traffic jams have become a common occurrence, too was being shifted to the outskirts of the town.

Residents say they were eagerly awaiting the next move of the MP as this was a major poll promise he had made in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.