The Indian Railways will complete its portion of the road overbridge (ROB) at Burdwan Road, a thoroughfare in Siliguri, by March 31, Gautam Deb, the mayor, said here on Tuesday.
Engineers from the railways met with representatives of the Trinamool–run civic board of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday afternoon. They handed over the necessary documents and informed the civic authorities that the project's will be handed over to the SMC by the end of March.
After the meeting, Deb said that the Railways provided a bar chart detailing the work schedule.
“According to the chart, the railway authorities will complete deck casting (over the rail track that connects Siliguri Town and Siliguri Junction stations) by February 15. This will be followed by bituminous work and site clearance. After completing their portion, the project will be handed over to the SMC between March 25 and March 31,” he said.
Officials of the state PWD and the Siliguri Metropolitan Police were also present at the meeting.
In recent years, the ROB has become a bone of contention between Trinamool and the BJP. Construction of the 1.1-kilometre-long bridge was initiated in 2018 by the state PWD. BJP leaders have repeatedly questioned the delay while being critical of the state government.
The mayor has blamed the railways for the delay. At the meeting, he alleged that the railways are holding up the project because the Assembly elections are ahead.
“Despite several meetings, it appears the project will not be handed over before the elections. The Election Commission will not wait for the railways’ schedule. The railways have deliberately delayed the work and did not want to complete it before the elections,” alleged Deb.
A source said that the progress slowed due to multiple factors, including disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. This caused the project cost to escalate from ₹44.85 crore to ₹68.75 crore.
The railways are responsible for constructing a 51-metre-long stretch over the tracks, for they have been allocated ₹14.62 crore by the state.
Raju Bista, the Darjeeling MP, had criticised Trinamool for the delay, stating that the Centre had released ₹61.54 crore for the project in the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
He had termed the obstruction disappointing, noting that the flyover was planned to ease traffic congestion in the city.
The mayor also said that the PWD has almost completed its share of work.
“We will clear the area under the ROB and use it for car parking. Also, a playing zone would be developed in a portion under it. The traffic department of the Siliguri Metropolitan Police will design the layout and service roads will also be made operational,” Deb added.
Political observers opined that the mayor's proactive move hints that Trinamool desperately wants to get the ROB operational before the Assembly polls.
“This is necessary to counter the BJP and other opposition parties, who have questioned the state government about the project, vis-à-vis similar projects which were completed by the Centre along highways surrounding Siliguri,” said an observer.
Road development
The mayor also said that construction of drainage, footpaths and dividers along the Nivedita Road will begin soon. The road serves as a key link between Hill Cart Road and NH10, connecting areas like Pradhannagar and Gurungbusty.