TEWARI shocks over Bakhra accident; questions inordinate delay in completion of 6 lanning

Ludhiana, August 1, 2013: Expressing shock and grief over the tragic accident near Sirhind where a bus fell into Bakhra canal leading to death of an unspecified number of people early Wednesday morning, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari questioned the inordinate and unexplained delay in completion of the six lanning of the National Highway between Panipat and Jalandhar which is the main cause of tragic accidents leading to so many deaths every day. He said, he will be taking up the matter with the Union Surface Transport Minister also.

Tewari said, most of the accidents along this stretch were taking place primarily because of the incomplete roads. He said, while the fall of the bus into the Bakhra canal was a major accident, everyday a number of accidents take place along the 300 kilometre road stretch leading to death of scores of people which usually do not get noticed.

The Minister said, the company which has got the contract for building the six lane road needs to be asked as why it has jumped so many deadlines. He said, the project was originally scheduled to get completed in 2011 and now it is 2013 and still there does not look any chance of the six-lanning getting completed.

He pointed out, the company was charging the toll tax from the vehicles for all these years and the toll charges have more than doubled during the last several years since the company took charge of the six-lanning of the highway.

Asserting that the company needs to be asked in no ambiguous terms to spell out the final deadline without any excuses, he said, there was no reason for the company to delay the completion of the project when it had already been charging toll tax from the vehicles travelling on the road. “We cannot let our people die just because the construction company wants to make more money”, he warned.

Tewari also questioned the argument being forwarded by the company that the delay was caused due to the increased cost of the input material like sand and gravel. To this he pointed out, the toll charges have more than doubled since it was started on the highway.