On Sunday, the January 11, 2015 at 12 noon a team of BJP leaders led by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Guardian Minister of Nagpur Chandrakant Bawankule, MLA of West Nagpur Sudhakarrao Deshmukh, Former Mayor Prof. Anil Sole, present Mayor Pravin Datke, MLA from North Nagpur Dr Milind Mane, MLA from East Nagpur Krishna Khopde, Balya Borkar, Dayashankar Tiwari, Corporator of Mankapur area Sangeeta Gire, Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar and others reached the spot where the residents of Mankapur were sitting on an agitation for the last four months.
No fan-fare; Just action
While Guardian Minister of Nagpur Chandrakant Bawankule addressed the gathering of around 600-700 people, he highlighted their problems and without any fan-fare and introductions he came to the point. He claimed that their demands are justified. He handed over the mike to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Most defective, imperfectly designed flyover
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari started his speech and after formal introductions of the people on the dais, came to business. He claimed that the over-head flyover that is one of the most defective and imperfectly designed flyover ever made. He added that he fails to understand how NHAI has approved the design. According to Nitin Gadkari, the flyover has so many pillars which are not at all required and using a little more steel, better and fewer pillars could have been erected to support the flyover. He also claimed that they have made a flyover over a canal (nullah) which again is erroneous. He then added that the designers or the people who had constructed the flyover never realized the need for a service road on both the sides of the bridge. After that he addressed the people and said that, now that he has come, he will not leave the spot without finding out a solution for their problems and starting the work immediately to allay their problems. He also assured that he will black-list the company that has designed this flyover and constructed the flyover and will ensure that they never get any government construction orders in future anywhere in India.
Gadkari gets down to business
In his usual style of promptly getting down to business, he called DRM O P Singh on his mobile phone. When DRM O P Singh was probably not responding in the manner he wanted, he raised his voice and asked the DRM and all officials to reach immediately at the spot where he was standing. He then asked the public not to follow him, since he wants to talk to the officials. Enroute to the spot while crossing the railways lines, he personally asked the people who were not security personnel or related to this discussion to stay back. When DRM O P Singh, General Manager Sunil Kumar Sood and other Railway officials reached the spot, Nitin Gadkari gave an earful to DRM O P Singh. He asked the DRM, if he thought he was a fool. He asked the General Manager Sunil Kumar Sood, why the DRM was acting so high and mighty and not adhering to the instructions of the Railway Minister and other railway officials at the headquarters. Gadkari claimed that the DRM had purposely ignored the instructions of the Railway Minister and higher officials for reasons best known to him.
Nitin Gadkari was visibly irked with the DRM since the DRM had allegedly misbehaved with some of the residents which included women. The DRM had allegedly physically pushed out the women and other residents from his office and had allegedly abused them. Nitin Gadkari gave directions to MLA from North Nagpur Dr Milind Mane to find all the Dalit women who were part of the delegation and had asked Dr Mane to file a case of SC/ST Atrocities Act against the DRM with the police and to take out a non-bailable arrest warrant against the DRM. He asked Dr Mane to ensure that the complaint is registered. Nitin Gadkari added that if the DRM is assuming that he will just be transferred, he is sadly mistaken. He will be kept here and made to face the action.
He immediately called the person from the company who had designed the flyover and had him to submit the plan or drawing immediately to him so that there can be a railway crossing that can be made soon. He asked General Manager Sunil Kumar Sood to get the required permissions in order immediately and facilitate the construction of a railway crossing.
MLA from South Nagpur Dr Milind Mane relates tales of woe
In an exclusive interview with Nagpur Today, Dr Milind Mane claimed that the residents of the north end of the flyover are practically cut off from the south side since there is no service road over the railway lines. The residents of that area have to go 2 kilometers back and use the flyover to reach the other side. Dr Mane said that on many occasions people do cross the railway line and in the process nearly 4 people lost their lives.
He claimed that nearly 1000 children have to cross the railway line since their school bus waits on this side of the railway line. The School Bus drivers have started to charge Rs 300 more for waiting for these students. People who face emergencies like Medical Emergency have to get an Auto from across the railway line and ply the flyover and again use the flyover to reach the hospitals. He alleged that nearly 50,000 people are cut off in that area. Dr Mane also alleged that usually the funeral procession (maiyat) is never taken backwards, yet the residents have to do that and using the flyover have to take their dead to the burning ghats.
He reiterated that now that he has been ordered by Nitin Gadkari, he will definitely be filing a case against DRM O P Singh.
Source: Nagpur Today
Gadkari Takes Railway Officials to Task