Chhattisgarh: Controversial skywalk project put on hold

RAIPUR: The government has decided to put on hold the ongoing works of the controversial skywalk project in the state capital after concerns being raised over the utility of the project.
The project was pushed and approved in haste during the previous BJP regime. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and attended by state public works minister Tamradwaj Sahu, elected representatives from the state capital and senior officials of the department concerned.The project faced criticism from various quarters saying that it is unscientific and not suited for a city like Raipur.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and PWD minister Tamradwaj Sahu said a consultation is needed with elected representatives, intellectuals, local business community and prominent citizens. The meeting unanimously decided to stop its ongoing construction till a decision is taken on whether to continue with the project or to abandon or demolish it.
Speaking at the meeting, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said legislators have raised questions about the project and expressed concerns. "We have to find solutions to these concerns before taking a final decision about the project," he added.
Initially, the proposal was to construct two flyovers to connect the main crossings with the railway station and Tatibandh and Telibanda area, said Raipur Mayor Pramod Dubey. He strongly advocated carrying out a detailed technical examination of the project. Senior police officials present at the meeting opined that movements through the skywalk had to be restricted during night in view of the security.
Earlier, a PWD chief engineer briefed the meeting that the initial survey for skywalk project was carried out in 2016-17 and a Mumbai-based consultant had prepared a report pointing out that 27,000 people cross Shastri chowk and 14,000 people commute through the area near the Ambedkar hospital on a daily basis. The tenders for the project were invited in 2016-17 and awarded for Rs42.55 crore to a Lucknow-based construction firm for construction of 1,470-metre-long skywalk with staircase at 10 places, escalators at eight places and two lifts. Later, its estimate was revised to Rs77 crore and at present 60 per cent of the works are complete.
Elected representatives pointed out that the skywalk could become a haven for anti-social elements during night and previous experience of footover bridges in the city proves that pedestrians hardly prefer using them. It was also suggested that the opinion of citizens has to be taken into consideration before any decision is taken on the project.