7 years on, ‘Missing link 2’ incomplete

Harshraj Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 12

Even seven years after acquiring land by displacing hundreds of people, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority’s (GLADA) ‘Missing link 2’ project is hanging fire as construction work on a railway over bridge (ROB) has not been begun.

The authority has constructed 1.7-km stretch from Dhandra Road to the Dhuri railway line and a 0.8-km stretch on the Gill village side. However, the railway over bridge that would connect these two stretches is yet to see the light of day.

The proposed missing link 2 road of 4.5 km has been divided in three parts, Dhandra Road to Dhuri railway line, Dhuri Railway line to Malerkotla Road and then Malerkotla Road to Southern Bypass (alongside Sidhwan Canal). Notably, work on the third stretch that will connect Malerkotla Road and Southern Bypass has also not been started yet.

Once the ROB under the ‘Missing link 2’ project is completed, the commuters can travel between Ferozepur Road and Malerkotla Road via Lodhi Club Road in less time.

The road safety activists have sought early construction of this ROB to avoid traffic congestion on Ferozepur Road as construction work for an elevated road between Samrala Chowk and Ferozepur Road octroi will start in coming days.

A member of the state Road Safety Council, Rahul Verma, said: “The file related to the construction of ROB is pending with the Railways that has delayed other projects, including reconstruction of Jagraon Bridge in the city. The ROB on the ‘missing link 2’ road should be constructed at the earliest.”

An NGO in 2007 had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to get orders issued to GLADA to start construction of the missing link road, so as to link Ferozepur road via Pakhowal Road, Dugri Road, Dhandhra Road, Malerkotla Road to Southern Bypass. Under missing link 1, a stretch was constructed between Pakhowal Road to Dugri Phase 3.

Another NGO, Samaj Sudhar Sewa Society, had moved court in 2015. Sanjay Tewari, vice-secretary of the NGO,  said: “GLADA had started acquisition of land for the missing link 2 road in around 2010. We moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2015 as road construction work on the 1.7-km stretch (Dhandra Road – Dhuri Railway lines under missing link 2) was being delayed. GLADA constructed this stretch only after getting the High Court orders.”

“Later, we moved the court again as GLADA was delaying construction of the 0.8-km stretch on Gill village side. These two stretches have been constructed. Now, construction of an ROB that would link these stretches is being delayed. The government should take requisite steps to ensure completion of the project at the earliest,” he said.  

Executive Engineer of GLADA Ranbir Singh said: “The drawing for the ROB was passed by the authorities concerned at Ambala division of the Railways. We are waiting for the final approval of the drawing from the Railways Head Office in Delhi. After getting final approval, tenders will be floated for construction of the ROB.”