15 months after deadline, railway underpass still to see the light of day in Panipat

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, April 8

The project to construct an underpass at the Azaad Nagar railway crossing on the Panipat-Gohana railway line has long missed its deadline. Delayed by around 15 months, the work — aimed at easing traffic congestion and providing better facilities to residents — is still not completed.

Another railway underpass project at the rear side of the Bishansaroop Colony has also been in a limbo for a long time. The Railways started the work in April 2022 and the deadline to complete the work was December that year but the project is still pending due to which people face inconvenience in their daily lives.

Aimed at ensuring smooth traffic flow

• The railways started the work in April 2022 and the deadline to complete the work was December that year but the project is still pending.
• A pet project of Panipat Urban MLA Pramod Vij, it is aimed at providing better connectivity to residents on the city roads and to ease the traffic congestion

Five underpasses — including four near the Assandh road flyover, near Bishan Saroop colony, near Sector 6 and near the Gohana road, which are being developed under the Delhi-Panipat-Ambala railway line, and the one being constructed under the Azaad Nagar railway crossing on the Panipat-Gohana railway line — were dream projects of Panipat Urban MLA Pramod Vij.

To provide better connectivity to residents on the city roads and to ease the traffic congestion on the flyovers and main roads, the MLA brought this special project of railway underpasses. After getting the final approval, an amount of Rs 19.52 crore was transferred to the Northern Railway for the construction of these underpasses.

After that, the engineering wing allotted the tender for the construction of underpass at Azaad Nagar in April 2022. But, the work is still going on at a very slow pace due to which daily commuters face a lot of inconvenience.

People who go to vegetable markets, grain markets and residents of over 20 colonies have to take a long route to go to their work. They have to go from the Gohana road flyover as the passage has been closed for the last two years.

Advocate Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Azaad Nagar, said the project had not been completed for two years due to the lethargic attitude of the railway officials as well as the contractor.

He said residents of Azaad Nagar, Raj Nagar, Sanjay Colony, among other colonies, were forced to cover an exta 4-km distance to go to their destinations, he added.

The railway authorities should have taken into account the inconvenience being caused to commuters and completed the project at the earliest, he said.

Ram Niwas, an employee of a private school, said earlier people had to face inconvenience due to double railway crossings, but for the last two years people were facing problems due to railway officials’ apathy. The people have raised the issue with various officers and political leaders but to no avail, he added.

MLA Pramod Vij said, “I am not aware of the reason behind the delay in the projects. I will ask the officials concerned at a meeting.”

Calls made to the railway officials concerned remained unanswered.

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