Public ka Nirnay
Fed up of waiting for a VIP to inaugurate an underpass, Nirnaynagar residents do the honours themselves
By Yogesh Avasthi and Zahid Qureshi
Posted On Friday, February 26, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010022620100226031439437a0ef75eb)
Nirnaynagar residents waited in vain for the past three months for a VIP to ease their traffic woes by merely inaugurating an underpass in the area. Finally on Feb 25 evening, their patience ran out.
A crowd of 150, which had in its ranks women, children and the elderly apart from young men, pushed away iron barricades blocking the underpass and declared it open.
Twenty men acted as cops and stationed themselves at traffic lights around the underpass, urging drivers to use the facility. Who needs ribbon-cutting formalities anymore!
Residents of the area were frustrated, because they were fighting for the construction of this underpass for the last 20 years. Area around around this underpass is a traffic disaster during peak hours, and in monsoon, the situation only gets worse.
But even after its completion three months ago, people of Nirnaynagar were unable to use it because it was not inaugurated.
Said Mahendra Angdeja, a Nirnaynagar resident for the past 20 years, “The underpass, which we so badly need, was becoming an eyesore because of the official apathy. A few days ago, residents of the nearby housing societies got together where someone asked, ‘This underpass has been constructed using public money. Then, who better than the public to declare it open.’ It made complete sense and here we are,
In the past people have declared open Sola overbridge, Ghatlodiya overbridge, AEC flyover and Helmet flyover after waiting for months to get a VIP to inaugurate these facilities.
On Thursday evening, it was heartening to see the women of Nirnaynagar taking an active part for the sake of their area. One such woman was Kokila Patel. She said, “What do these netas do for the public? I don’t understand this concept of inauguration of public facilities. We did the right thing, and people across the city should do the same.”
Some lessons to be learnt here for the civic authorities.
By Yogesh Avasthi and Zahid Qureshi
Posted On Friday, February 26, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010022620100226031439437a0ef75eb)
Nirnaynagar residents waited in vain for the past three months for a VIP to ease their traffic woes by merely inaugurating an underpass in the area. Finally on Feb 25 evening, their patience ran out.
A crowd of 150, which had in its ranks women, children and the elderly apart from young men, pushed away iron barricades blocking the underpass and declared it open.
Twenty men acted as cops and stationed themselves at traffic lights around the underpass, urging drivers to use the facility. Who needs ribbon-cutting formalities anymore!
Residents of the area were frustrated, because they were fighting for the construction of this underpass for the last 20 years. Area around around this underpass is a traffic disaster during peak hours, and in monsoon, the situation only gets worse.
But even after its completion three months ago, people of Nirnaynagar were unable to use it because it was not inaugurated.
Said Mahendra Angdeja, a Nirnaynagar resident for the past 20 years, “The underpass, which we so badly need, was becoming an eyesore because of the official apathy. A few days ago, residents of the nearby housing societies got together where someone asked, ‘This underpass has been constructed using public money. Then, who better than the public to declare it open.’ It made complete sense and here we are,
In the past people have declared open Sola overbridge, Ghatlodiya overbridge, AEC flyover and Helmet flyover after waiting for months to get a VIP to inaugurate these facilities.
On Thursday evening, it was heartening to see the women of Nirnaynagar taking an active part for the sake of their area. One such woman was Kokila Patel. She said, “What do these netas do for the public? I don’t understand this concept of inauguration of public facilities. We did the right thing, and people across the city should do the same.”
Some lessons to be learnt here for the civic authorities.
