A bridge inaugurated twice in Kashmir!

Srinagar, May 30: An inauguration of a causeway became a cause of serious embarrassment for the Jammu and Kashmir government when its two ministers -- one belonging to the Congress and the other from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -- cut the ribbon twice in two hours yesterday to throw it open for vehicular traffic.

Residents of Chadoora in central Kashmir district of Badgam watched the entire proceedings with amusement and at the end had a hearty laugh to see action replay of an unveiling ceremony with just one change in the scene...the main character.

Minister of State for Rural Development and Science and Technology Javaid Mustaffa Mir arrived at Chadoora at around 0900 hrs to inaugurate a 30-mt long causeway on Doodhganga nullah.

He was received by officials and PDP workers with flowers and led to the ribbon on one side of the bridge. Mr Mir then cut the ribbon and allowed the traffic to move over the causeway.

However, after two hours the scene was re-enacted by Roads and Buildings Minister Gulchain Singh Charak. Officials and police stopped the traffic once again, tied a fresh ribbon and kept the causeway ready for a second inauguration.

Mr Charak too was received by the same officials with flowers. He then cut the ribbon and traffic was allowed to pass through the causeway.

The only difference in the two ceremonies being that the crowd this time comprised the Congress workers.

However, the plaque saved the state government and the officials from further embarrassment as names of both the Ministers were embossed on it.

Differences between the two Ministers had surfaced over the inauguration of the causeway. Mr Mir had asked Mr Charak not to inaugurate the causeway, as it was a small project.

Mr Mir also wanted the function to be simple and non-political, saying Chadoora was his constituency and he had arranged the funds while the Roads and Buildings had nothing to do with the project.

However, Mr Charak refused to follow Mr Mir's advice and decided to inaugurate the causeway himself. Subsequently, it was decided that the two Ministers would jointly inaugurate the causeway constructed at a cost of Rs 30 lakh within three months.

Serious differences have surfaced between the Congress and the PDP, the two key ruling coalition partners, in the recent past over several ''burning'' issues, including troop reduction, in the state.

UNI