The Jugsalai railway over bridge (ROB) project is all set to gain momentum soon. The project which is being jointly carried out by road construction department (RCD) and railway was stopped due to non-payment of railways' due of Rs 13 crore by the RCD and encroachment bottlenecks.
However, according to information, the RCD has paid 7.5 crores of the Rs 13 crore to the railway, leading the latter to grant permission to the former for starting construction on its land.
Assistant engineer (AEN), Tatanagar, Anoop Saxena said the RCD to have paid them Rs 7.5 crore toward the total consideration amount of Rs 13 crores. "The project will soon start on high speed as the RCD has paid a major part of our due and now they are free to start construction on our land," said Saxena.
The over bridge to be set up jointly by the RCD and the railways at a cost of Rs 18 crore is aimed at easing traffic movement between densely-populated Jugsalai and the rest of the city. While the railway is setting up the over-bridge at a cost of Rs 6 crore near the Jugsalai level crossing, the RCD has to set up 200 metres-long approach road on either side. A senior official of RCD said that they had started construction on the land provided by State Government on the Bistupur end of the proposed approach road, but they did not start construction on the Jugsalai side of the approach road as the railway had observed that until Rs 13 crore toward acquiring the railway land for the approach road is not paid. "Now we are going to start the construction at the Jugsalai side of the approach road as the department has already paid Rs 7.5 crore of the Rs 13 crore," said a senior official of the RCD. The officer on condition of anonymity said that they have already set up three pillars for the approach road towards the Bistupur end. The railway had finalised the blueprint for the Rs 21.54 crore project. The road over bridge was a long pending demand of the people residing at Jugsalai. Sources informed that of the 21.54 crore, 9.77 crore will be spent by the railway, where as the remaining Rs 11.77 crore will be borne by the State Government.
The road over bridge would ensure smooth traffic and avoid decongestion as the commuters face it now while crossing the level crossing. The existing Jugsalai roundabout will remain where it is not, but its size will be reduced marginally.
After pressure from local representatives, the State road construction division had carried out a survey earlier this year and submitted the proposed area for construction of the approach for the railway over bridge and the encroached structures which had made the administration to go for the demolition drive.
