Mock inauguration of Pumpwell flyover today

A mock inauguration of the flyover at Pumpwell Circle will be organised on January 1, MLC Ivan D’Souza said on Tuesday.

A fact-finding committee, comprising senior Congress leaders, visited the Pumpwell Circle and took stock of the work on the flyover.

“MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had set December 31 as a final deadline for completion of the flyover. As the work on the flyover was not completed within time, a mock inauguration of the flyover will be held along with the public,” said D’Souza.

Former minister B Ramanath Rai, who was part of the committee said, “The MP is engaged in diverting the attention of the people by issuing statements not related to the development of the constituency. The work on the flyover has not been completed even after 10 years. The work on the B C Road – Addahole highway work also has come to a standstill.”

MLC and District Congress Committee President Harish Kumar warned of gheraoing the office of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) if the flyover was not inaugurated by the end of January.

‘Unscientific’

Former MLA J R Lobo said that the work on the flyover is unscientific. “The flyover is not adhering to international or national standards,” he insisted.

Further, he said, “To adhere to the standards, the height of the flyover should have been 5.5 metres. But the board installed at the site of construction reveals that the flyover at Pumpwell was constructed to a height of 4.5 metres. The railway underbridge at Padil is also unscientific.”

Lobo added that the work at Nanthoor and KPT junctions is pending for past many years. “The BJP has failed to carry out the development works in the district,” he alleged.