Villagers protest two-decade delay in bridge construction

Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 27

Residents of Palani village of Badgram gram panchayat in the Bharmour Assembly segment yesterday protested the two-decade delay in the construction of a bridge.

The villagers said despite numerous assurances from the government and departments concerned, nothing concrete has been done . The construction of the bridge, intended to connect various areas and improve transportation infrastructure, has been a long-standing demand of the local community. They alleged that they had donated their land and other resources for the bridge, but it had not come up even after 20 years.

The Public Works Department (PWD) had assured that the construction of the bridge would commence by April 25, but there was no progress even after the specified date. The villagers warned the authorities that if the bridge was not constructed, they would not hesitate to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Shubha Devi, pradhan of the gram panchayat, stated that despite repeated pleas to the administration and government, no concrete steps were taken to fulfil their demand.

The delay in construction has highlighted systemic issues with infrastructure development in the region. Despite decades passing since the inception of the project, little progress has been made, leaving communities isolated and underserved, she added.

Meanwhile, PWD Officials said a notice has been issued to the contractor undertaking the construction work, imposing penalties for delays. If the current contractor failed to meet the deadline, the tender would be revoked and another contractor would be hired to complete the project, said PWD’s Assistant Engineer Vishal Chaudhary. He reiterated the department’s commitment to resolve the issue promptly and ensured that the work would be completed without further delay.

Meanwhile, former Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri empathised with the challenges faced by the people due to the delay in bridge construction and assured them of swift action. “I understand the difficulties faced by the residents. Construction work of the bridge will commence within next 10 days and efforts will be made to complete it in the stipulated timeframe and dedicate it to the public,” he said.

According to the locals, construction work of the road to Badgram and the remote village’s link with the main road started in 1987. However, after 35 years, the road construction remains incomplete, primarily due to delay in construction of the Palani bridge. The foundation stone for the bridge was laid twice, but the work never started.

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