Youth Cong workers ‘inaugurate’ bridge to protest delay

Though the bridge is ready,it is still not open for public as yet and Youth Congress leaders said it was causing inconvenience to the citizens and so they removed the barricades and threw it open.

A few days ago,people had removed the barricades on both ends of the bridge and started using it. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials later sent a team and reinstalled the barricades and posted security guards on both ends.

Sources said after residents approached Surat Youth Congress president Rohit Gajera,YC workers gathered there on Saturday and inaugurated the bridge with a puja ceremony after removing the barricades.

After the incident,SMC officials and police rushed to the spot and stopped the traffic on the new bridge. They detained 20 Youth Congress workers,including its Surat president.

“We have done what we thought was right for the people of Amroli. It took four long years to complete the bridge and it was necessary for the people to use it as they face traffic problems on the older bridge. Our demand is that the bridge should be named after Mahatma Gandhi.”

Mayor and MLA Ranjeet Gilitiwala said,“We have requested Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel to inaugurate the bridge and he has given confirmation. Most probably,we will inaugurate it on July 23.”

On the question of name,the mayor said,“The cultural committee of SMC decides the name of a new bridge as per procedure and we have no objection if it is named after Mahatma Gandhi.”