MC, AIT reluctant to take up Rego Bridge reconstruction

Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 27

The Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) appear to be washing their hands of re-construction of Rego Bridge which has outlived its life.

AIT officials say the MC should come forward for the work while the latter claim it to be the responsibility of the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

MC Commissioner Sonali Giri said that a letter dated September 6, 2010 was with her office which stated that the PIDB would fund the project. She stated that on August 29, 2017, the MC had received a letter from the AIT asking for a joint inspection so that it could forward the estimate to the Railways.

The AIT had held meetings twice with railway authorities in Delhi for discussion over the project in 2017 and 2018.

AIT Superintending Engineer Rajiv Sekhri said the Rego Bridge didn’t fall in any of the AIT schemes so it couldn’t fund the project. He said the area belonged to the MC so it should come forward. He said the AIT took the initiative and secured the NOCs from the railway.

He categorically made it clear that no portion of the road from the GT road side would be used for the bridge. He stressed that only the level of the road would be elevated by at least three feet.

Meanwhile, people continue risking their lives by commuting through the ROB which has developed cracks.