Shimla: A new controversy has erupted on the Shimla-Mataur NH. NHAI and PWD are at loggerheads after repairing the damaged Ghandal bridge about a month ago.
Due to rains in July, a part of the bridge had come under a landslide. After this, the district administration had given instructions to change the route and for more than a week, the vehicles were sent through an alternate route.
While the passengers coming from Chamba, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, or Mandi were forced to cross the Ghandal bridge on footą„¤ After this PWD Minister Vikramaditya and NHAI officials jointly inspected the bridge.
Due to being new, the responsibility of the bridge was with NHAI only, but the repair work was handed over to PWD. PWD has repaired this bridge for about Rs 55 lakh.
The repair bill has been sent to NHAI and NHAI has put a hold on the payment. NHAI has asked to re-examine the repair work done on the bridge.
Initially, the PWD has not been able to build the ditch near the Valley Bridge for 55 lakhs. NHAI officials will now inspect the bridge themselves. After this payment will be made to PWD.
20 kilometer less travel
When the Ghandal bridge on the National Highway collapsed, the PWD had quickly completed the work of installing the Valley Bridge. Officials say that even the payment for this Valley Bridge has not yet been made.
PWD officials say that this time the Ghandal bridge has been repaired in just a week. The department has saved the vehicles passing through here from an additional journey of 20 kms.
Pillar was broken by rain
PWD Chief Engineer Ajay Gupta said that a pillar of the bridge was damaged. After this, there was a meeting between NHAI and PWD.
In this meeting, PWD got the responsibility of repair. But the payment for the work has not yet been done. After repairing the bridge, the department has made the traffic smooth.