Dharamsala civic body proposes to dismantle footbridge near DC office

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, December 3

A steel footbridge constructed outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharamsala on the main road passing through the city is a classic example of misuse of public funds. The bridge was constructed more than four years ago, but it has never been used because it ends in an enclosed area.

Never used by public, Rs 43 lakh wasted

• The bridge that was built at a cost of Rs 43 lakh has never been used because it ends in an enclosed area
• Now, a proposal has been mooted to dismantle it and use it to connect the DC office with the SP office
• Former Mayor Davinder Jaggi said the corporation had objected to the construction of the steel footbridge as there was no need for it
• The road over which the bridge has been constructed does not have much traffic

Sources said that the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation (MC) had written to the Public Works Department (PWD), which had constructed the bridge, to dismantle it. MC Commissioner Anurag Chander Sharma said that he had written to the PWD office and proposed that the bridge should be used for connecting the offices of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner and the SP. Officials say if it is a link between these two offices, people might use it.

Executive Engineer, PWD, Jagtar Thakur said that the department had constructed the footbridge using funds provided by the Deputy Commissioner’s office. “We don’t own the bridge. The DC office or the Dharamsala MC has to take the decision to dismantle it,” he said.

The sources said the PWD had constructed the footbridge using a grant received from the MPLAD funds given by Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor. The amount of Rs 43 lakh was used for the construction despite objections from the Dharamsala MC and the Smart City Project, Dharamsala.

Former Mayor of Dharamsala Davinder Jaggi said that the corporation had objected to the construction of the steel footbridge as there was no need for it. The road over which the bridge has been constructed does not have much traffic. In addition to that, the design of the footbridge was such that senior citizens and children cannot use it as it is very steep, he said.

The sources said that initially, a proposal was mooted to construct two footbridges in Dharamsala — one outside the Dharamsala mini-secretariat and other outside Sacred Heart School. However, later the grant was used in the construction of one bridge and the other never came up.

They said that the Central authorities, who had come for the inspection of MPLAD works, had also expressed displeasure at the wastage of public money in the construction of this footbridge.