British-era bridge cries for attention, residents suffer

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 28

The demand for re-construction of the British-era Mahavir Railway overbridge, popularly known as Rego bridge, has revived once again.

Residents want the government to shoulder its responsibility in time as it had long outlived its life. Surinder Singh Pahwa, a resident, said people risked their lives by commuting over the bridge which had developed potholes, cracks and fissures. He said a way beneath the overbridge led to Railway colony and is used by Railways employees and their families and so, the Railways must also chip in with funds.

Another resident Dilbagh Singh said he used the overbridge on a daily basis to pick and drop his children who study at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, which was situated next to the ROB. He said governments were for the welfare of people and they must reconstruct the overbridge as soon as possible to avoid any accident.

Earlier, the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar (MCA) and Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) had washed their hands off from investing in its re-construction.

The MCA had a letter dated September 6, 2010 which stated that the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) would provide funding for the project.

After the PIDB did not release the fund for the project, the AIT took over it for some years. Its officials held meetings twice with the railway authorities in Delhi to discus the project in 2017 and 2018.

AIT officials stated that there was no logic for the Trust to fund reconstruction of the ROB as it did not fall under any of its schemes. They said the area belonged to the MCA and it should come forward. They said the trust took had secured all kinds of NOCs from the Railway.

Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu said the Corporation did not have sufficient funds and he would forward the proposal for reconstruction to both the Union and Punjab Governments.