Title - Civic body, CR bicker over Kalyan bridge

Kalyan: A narrow 21-year-old foot-overbridge (FOB) connecting three of Kalyan’s oldest housing societies and its adjoining areas is in a dilapidated condition. The bridge is the only access to the railway station for 50,000 residents of Lokgram, Lokvatika and Lokdhara housing societies.
    The Kalyan-Dombivli Muncipal Corporation (KDMC) and the railways have not initiated any steps to repair the bridge, residents complained. Central Railway officials said the bridge was built in 1991 with assistance of KDMC and was handed over to them. But since it is used by the city residents, the responsibility to maintain it falls on KDMC, CR officials said.
    Recently the railways declared the bridge unsafe and submitted a Rs 70-lakh proposal for its repairs. KDMC will pay for the repairs but the civic body resents it saying the estimates are high. Pramod Kulkarni, project in-charge of KDMC, said, “We have sent back the proposal and are awaiting their reply. Once they agree we will place the proposal before the general body for approval.”
    A railway official said, “We have already told KDMC that Rs 70 lakh is required because a roof over the bridge has to be built. In case they do not want the cover we will reduce the amount.”
    Mohan Achrekarof the Lokvatika Housing Society, says there are around 1,600 families living in the complex and they pay more than Rs 2.5 crore annual property tax to KDMC besides other levies.