New flyover in Vadodara to be named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee

“A request has come from Mayor Keyur Rokadia, who is also an MLA, to rename the newly built flyover connecting Genda Circle to Manisha Society. In order to name the said flyover as ‘Atal Bridge’, it is necessary to seek the approval of the General Board… The flyover is to be named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee to pay tribute from Smart City Vadodara to his (Vajpayee’s) leadership in the country. Therefore, it is necessary to grant powers to the Municipal Commissioner to complete the formal process of naming the flyover Atal Bridge,” the proposal states.

The proposal also highlights Vajpayee’s achievements during his political life to explain the decision of naming the bridge after the former Prime Minister.

Last week, Congress submitted a memorandum that the bridge should be named after the visionary king of the erstwhile state of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.

Leader of Opposition Ami Ravat of the Congress said, “The Congress had made the proposal to name the bridge after the Maharaja, who has made Baroda city. He has given so much to Vadodara when he as alive but what have we done for him? None of the structures built later have been named after him, barring the Sayajirao Nagar Gruh. We had earlier requested that the new Vadodara airport should be named after the Maharaja… They can still name the airport after him as they have now decided to name the flyover after Vajpayee.”

Ravat, in the General Board, held on Tuesday evening, had also raised the issue of the funding of the said flyover.
“Since the cost of Rs 220 crore of the flyover was to be initially borne by the state government, the VMC must ensure that the entire fund has been received from the state government. Right after the project commenced — at the insistence of the state government — the government said that it would pay Rs 76 crore in all… However, eventually, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that the state government would release another Rs 100 crore for the flyover. Even if the Rs 100 crores is received eventually, the VMC will have to bear an expense of Rs 54 crores. As Mayor Rokadia is now also an MLA, he should ensure that the sum is received in total by the VMC from the state government,” Ravat said.

The flyover is slated for inauguration on December 25, which also marks the birth anniversary of Vajpayee.