Railways to complete Domoria bridge before March 31

Jalandhar, Jun 21 (UNI) After a prolonged delay, the Railways has now decided to execute the remaining work of the Damoria bridge within this financial year.

While stating this here today, Mayor Rakesh Rathore said after a meeting between Municipal Corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) officials, Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral and officials of the Indian Railways, it was decided in principle that the Railways would undertake the remaining work of construction of spans over the Railway tracks of Damoria bridge.

He informed that the then Prime Minister I K Gujral when visited the city on May 4, 1997, announced the construction of a Railway Over Bridge (ROB) with the Central assistance.

On December 12, 2001, the Centre sanctioned the Domoria bridge project with an estimated cost of Rs 26.11 crore, he said, adding that out of this amount, the share of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was fixed at Rs 20.78 crore, while the remaining share of Rs 4.89 crore was to be borne by the Ministry of Railways.

The MCJ agreed to execute the work over the Railway tracks as per the MoU signed between the MCJ Commissioner and Norther Railways officials, but during the execution of the work it was observed that the construction of box girder over the railway track for the span was not practicable, he said.

The Mayor said Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on April 3 and May 13 this year wrote letters to union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to get the work done for the construction of spans over the Railway track by the Railway itself. The Railway authorities then decided to construct the remaining part of the bridge, he added.

About 90 per cent construction work of the ROB had already been executed, he said, adding that the remaining work would be completed by the Railways within current financial year.

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