Parallel Holkar bridge plan stuck

PUNE, Nov 29: The 200-year-old Holkar bridge - the main connecting link between Yerwada and Khadki - has witnessed a considerable increase i...

PUNE, Nov 29: The 200-year-old Holkar bridge 8211; the main connecting link between Yerwada and Khadki 8211; has witnessed a considerable increase in traffic over the last few years. There seems to be little reprieve for the citizens however, since the ambitious proposal mooted by the State Government to construct a parallel bridge along the existing one continues to gather dust.

The reason 8211; the Central Government, which was actively considering the possibility of allocating certain lands in possession of the defence ministry to the State Government for the construction of the bridge, is yet to give the final nod for officially handing over the required land for the project.

A visibly annoyed Rambhau Moze, the local MLA, was quite upset with the delay over the project. The project was initiated by the Pune Municipal Corporation PMC at the end of 1991 when senior Congress leader Sharad Pawar was the Union Defence Minister. 8220;We had initiated the project on his recommendation. However, there seems to be no response from the army authorities for the project,8221; he alleged.

Even as all the officials agreed that the bridge would fulfill the long-felt need for the residents, the only hitch lies in the land required which falls under the jurisdiction of the British High Commission and the Union Defence Ministry. However, experts are still in the process of deciding the process of alignment. If the bridge is positioned downstream of the present bridge, it would involve the acquisition of some land from the British War Cemetery. However, if it is positioned upstream, it would involve the acquisition of land from High Explosives Factory, reliable sources revealed. The third possibility will involve the formation of an eskew bridge.

Moze alleged that the local residents had willingly given portions of their land whenever the government or army required them for their use. 8220;However when the issue involves the common citizens, nobody is willing to come forward,8221; he charged.

8220;Not only will a second bridge decongest the increasing traffic, but it will also reduce the burden of traffic from the national highway,8221; he said.

Moze who has also taken up cudgels against the army authorites on the issue of the removal of 11 stalls from the bridge and against the Khadki Cantonment Board for the continued water scarcity despite the allocation of Rs 60 lakh from the MLA fund, has decided to seek an appointment with the General Officer Commanding in Chief GOC-in-C, Southern Comand to sort out the issue.