The four way lane bridge headache : Putting the cart before the horse
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 03 , 2014 -
Sanjenthong, over Imphal River connecting Imphal East and Imphal West district dismantled on 30 April 2014 :: Pix - Shanker Khangembam
More like a case of putting the cart before the horse.
Development comes with a price. This is a given, but the manner in which the Congress Government, in its more than ten years in office has been taking up one development project after the one has exposed itself as a Government whose right hand does not know what its right hand is doing.
This is much more than the right hand of the Government not knowing what its left hand is doing.
So without taking into consideration the fact that traffic lights need power supply to operate them, the Government went ahead and installed traffic lights at all the important junctures of Imphal city, reducing them to nothing much more decorative pieces.
Take the example of the City Convention Centre, which was inaugurated amid much hype by none other than the Prime Minister and the UPA Chairperson just before the election code of conduct for the election to the 10th Assembly came into force and the gist of our argument should become clear.
Remember the early days when Mr Ibobi became sort of a Demolition Man and went about acquiring land and bulldozing away the structures that once stood at the place occupied by the City Convention Centre ?
There seemed to be intent of purpose then, but more than ten years down the line there is nothing to suggest that the Convention Centre is anywhere near completion, not withstanding the fact that it has already been constructed.
So we have a story of a structure which has been inaugurated but not thrown open to the public and there is no word to describe the situation.
Farcical is a term that comes to mind but then this may be too mild to describe the absurdity in which the whole matter has been handled by the people sitting in the corridors of power.
The City Convention Centre is not only a towering structure with all the dos, but should be a revenue earning structure which can go a long way in filling up the coffers of the State exchequer.
Same is the story of the Inter-State Bus Terminus, which was also inaugurated along with the City Convention Centre but which today has literally been turned into a one big public toilet, strewn with human excreta.
At the moment, the Government has taken up the grand plan of upgrading Sanjenthong into a four lane bridge to ease the flow of traffic.
This is a terrific idea, but on closer look, the hamhanded manner in which the Government has taken up the job of taking up the upgradation/development work of Sanjenthong becomes palpably clear.
Another case of putting the cart before the horse. With Sanjenthong closed to vehicular movement, the other routes that connect Imphal East with Imphal West are the Lamlong bridge, Singjamei bridge, Thumbuthong and others.
The question is why is the Government in such a hurry to put Sanjenthong off limits to vehicular movement without first looking at the conditions of the other connecting routes ?
Lamlong bridge and Singjamei bridge will pass muster, but why overlook the fact that Thumbuthong should first have been repaired and the approach road widened to accommodate the growing volume of traffic that are diverted from Sanjenthong bridge ?
It is the thumb rule that if any major or important works are taken up and if the said work is going pose inconveniences to the movement of the public then alternative routes should first be worked out.
It is so characteristic of this Government that this fundamental fact has been overlooked.
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