Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti inaugurated the 300 metre pre stressed concrete double lane bridge over Nikki Tawi here today.Built at a cost of Rs. 30 crore, the bridge would connect a population of sixty thousand with the main city and the work has been completed in a record time of 13 months.Addressing the people after the inauguration, the Chief Minister said bridges not only connect areas but also bring people closer to each other in terms of cultures, emotions and needs. She said her Government has embarked on an ambitious connectivity plan for the State but the main objective is to connect their hearts and minds so that the people of one region feel the pain of people of other region and one area shares its joys and sorrows with the other area.Mehbooba Mufti said her Government has planned the development of Jammu city befitting its historicity and antiquity. She said soon the Bikram Chowk flyover would be thrown open giving the commuters a big relief. Similarly, she said, parking slots are being developed at many spots in the city to decongest the traffic. She said Mubarak Mandi complex would be developed as a heritage site of national standards.
The Chief Minister said she has given categorical directions that the developmental projects should not be spilt over in terms of costs or timeline. “There has been a tendency to keep projects pending for 10-15 years which has to be reversed,” she said adding that she has directed that at the time of laying of foundation stone of a project the completion date should also be mentioned in the plaque itself.The Chief Minister complimented the citizens of Jammu for having maintained peace and harmony among various sections of the society. She, however, cautioned people against the nefarious designs of some negative elements who intend to spread canard and hatred in the society while appealing people to maintain this amity.Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh in his address said the completion of the bridge in a record time is a tribute to former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who was keen that the people of these villages get an easy connectivity to the Jammu city. He said the present Government has made it mandatory upon itself to stick to the time lines of projects so that these do not spill over in terms of cost and time.
Minister for PWD, Naeem Akhtar in his speech said the need for such a bridge was felt for long and the in time completion of the project reflects the commitment and seriousness of the Government for the development of the State. He also stressed on the need to connect people of the State with each other emotionally, mentally and behaviorally so that the State marches ahead in one voice on the road to prosperity.Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat in his address thanked the Chief Minister for taking keen interest in the timely completion of the bridge. He said the coalition Government has decided to revolutionize the infrastructure and service delivery in the State.Former Minister and MLA, Choudhary Sukhnandan also addressed the gathering.Commissioner Secretary, PWD, Rohit Kansal; Manging Director, JKPCC, Dileep Thussu; Chief Engineers of several engineering wings and a large number of people were present on the occasion.