Jakhar lays stone of underpass; it’s overbridge, says BJP leader

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, February 23

A day after BJP leader Swaran Salaria produced a letter from the Railway Ministry claiming an overbridge will be constructed on the Tibri road crossing to decongest traffic in the city, PPCC chief and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar today laid the foundation stone of an underbridge.

Jakhar was accompanied by Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra. 

Yesterday, Salaria had convened a press conference and claimed that “his efforts and those of the BJP had paid dividends as the Railway Ministry had cleared the proposal for an overbridge.”

“There was never a proposal for an overpass. I have been in constant touch with Railway Ministry officials in New Delhi, following which I got an underbridge cleared,” said the MP after laying the foundation stone.

MLA Pahra said Salaria was trying to pull wool over the eyes of the residents by “showing off a frivolous Railway Ministry notification to the media.”

“The project is a state government-funded one and Rs 16 crore has already been earmarked for the underpass in this year’s Punjab government’s Budget. The Central government will not have to spend even a single rupee. Our MP worked closely with railway officials in New Delhi to get the proposal cleared,” maintained the MLA.

Salaria had contended that the overbridge’s funding would be done jointly by the Central and state governments. To this Jakhar said, “Salaria is trying to take credit for something he has never done. The work will start before the model code of conduct comes into force.”

Credit war

BJP’s Swaran Salaria had on Friday produced a letter from the Railway Ministry claiming an overbridge will be constructed on the Tibri road crossing in Gurdaspur.  Meanwhile, local (Cong) MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra said it was a state government-funded project.