Agitated over delay in overbridge project, Bhiwani residents seek speedy completion

A delegation led by Jeetuwala mahapanchayat called on the Superintending Engineer of the state Public Works Department (PWD), Surender Singh Deswal, and submitted a memorandum complaining about the slow progress in construction of the C-52 railway overbridge (ROB) at the Rewari-Bathinda rail section in Bhiwani town.

Residents complaint that they had been suffering for over four years due to the persistent delay and now, they were losing their patience. The delegation informed the PWD SE that the resentment was growing among the people due to delay in the project.

In the memorandum, the delegation stated that all major hurdles in the construction were removed nearly three months ago. Yet, the construction company had failed to expedite the work. In fact, in the past month, work had either been stalled or was progressing at a sluggish pace. The delegation further alleged that the Junior Engineer (JE) and Subdivisional Officer (SDO) of the PWD were also not taking action and seemed to be colluding with the contractor, resulting in continued delays.

Delegation members Ramsharan Thekedar and Municipal Councillor Shiv Kumar Gothwal raised safety concerns while pointing out that a four-ft-deep trench was dug up on the Jeetuwala side for retaining wall construction. “If left unattended, it can get filled with rainwater during the upcoming monsoon season, posing a serious risk of flooding and accidents,” they said. Besides, they said, since the railway authorities installed a double line, pedestrian access across the railway gate had been closed. The Loharu gate also remains closed most of the time, cutting off essential access for schoolchildren, patients and mourners heading to the Shyam Bagh cremation ground, they alleged.

Rohtas Verma, convener of mahapanchayat, said the contractor appeared to be deliberately delaying the work, even though there were no major hindrances on the Krishna Colony side and service roads could be constructed without issue.

Responding to the grievances, the Superintending Engineer admitted to the concerns raised and acknowledged the legitimacy of the complaints. He assured the delegation that a formal notice had already been issued to the construction company. “If the agency fails to speed up the work within the next 10 days, their contract will be terminated,” he stated.

Deswal further promised that the pace of construction would be accelerated and the overbridge completed and opened for public use as soon as possible.

Haryana Tribune