Administration all set to dismantle controversial traffic intersection

Days after a sitting MLA and the district administration adopted aggressive measures over the construction of the highly controversial traffic intersection, the latter has activated the process to dismantle the juncture.

This development will give respite to thousands of commuters, including hundreds of schoolchildren, who inadvertently get trapped in traffic snarls.

The legal process to clamp section 152 of the BNS on the accused has also been initiated by the administration in the SDM’s court. The SDM has already sent notices to the Executive Officer (EO) of the municipal committee and the Executive Engineer (XEN) of the PWD. “The process will be completed within a week,” said an insider.

For the last three days, the city has been drowned in angry voices of residents who claim they had never seen such lengthy traffic jams in the last several decades. Old-timers say they fail to comprehend what prompted the MLA to “unlawfully” build the juncture.

The structure, where four roads converge, has been built in the name of Bhai Lalo, a Sikh religious figure.

One of the roads leads to the bus stand through the railway underpass, while the others lead to different locations in the city. The railway underpass was built with an eye to decongest the traffic. However, things are back to square one with the underpass remaining chock-a-block with traffic. The juncture is proving to be more of a bane than a boon for commuters.

Construction was done despite the PWD’s objection. It had claimed the structure needed to be redesigned.

A senior official said the administration was taken aback when some private players started the building process on government land when they had barred anybody from constructing it.

“We have to follow the legal process before it is dismantled. We have started that procedure and it is just a matter of days before the chow is pulled down,” he said.

Interestingly, when the MLA and his men had reached the area to begin building, the administration had informed the police. However, the police remained mute spectators. “What happens tomorrow if a police officer’s car gets trapped in the jam? The cops have been caught in a quagmire of their own making,” said a commuter.

Representatives of the community of Bhai Lalo “will be taken into confidence before any major decision is taken,” say officials.

“We do not want a religious backlash. At the same time, we do not want commuters to be caught in massive traffic jams as is happening now. We have taken cognisance of the fact that hundreds of schoolchildren are caught in the jams. We have also received complaints from parents. We will not let the community down and simultaneously we will find a solution to the problem,” he said.