PAKPATTAN
Baba Farid Bridge over River Sutlej built with a huge cost of around Rs1.25 billion failed to facilitate commuting from Bahawalnagar to Pakpattan and vice versa due to the worst condition of roads leading to the bridge on either sides, prompting commuters to use traditional route.
Thousands of commuters are using the alternative temporary bridge to cross Sutlej while moving between Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar. a
Sources said that people of the two districts had been demanding construction of the bridge for four decades. The demand, however, was materialised with the construction of Baba Farid Bridge over Sutlej River by spending huge amount of Rs1.25 billion. But the government did not construct approaching roads on either sides due which the masses have to use the traditional temporary bridge. Both the districts are presently connected through roads but it took over 90-km from Pakpattan to reach Minchanabad and Bahawalnagar. Traditionally, there is a route running through both sides of the Sutlej near Dhakk Pattan. People shuttled between Pakpattan and Minchanabad while crossing the traditional route that now has a temporary iron bridge. The distance would reduce to just 35 km between the two districts if the bridge is made full functional over River Sutlej.
People argued it would also open up economic opportunities and trade between grain markets of Pakpattan, Minchanabad and Bahwalnagar.
Interestingly, they said the district government of Bahawalnagar annually sold contract between Rs3.5 and Rs4 million to a contractor as all commuters have to pay a ‘toll’ for crossing over the temporary bridge. The sources said that local parliamentarians of both the PPP and the PML-N had been mentioning the bridge in their election campaigns for decades. However, it was during former president Gen Musharraf’s era that Rs1 billion were released by the federal government for the bridge and it was named after famous Punjabi Sufi saint Baba Farid Ganj Shakar.
On Dec 1, 2008, the National Highway Authority had awarded a Rs912.8 million contract to Kingcrete Constructors for the 527-metre-long bridge at Dhakk Pattan over River Sutlej.
The bridge had been completed on time on Jan 20, 2010 and even inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari, but the NHA and the district government could not get roads laid out on both sides for three years, forcing the commuters to use the traditional temporary route despite the bridge construction.
The population of surrounding villages such as Noora Dada, Shah Morr, Mauza Kaych, Sadhu Hyder where the temporary boat bridge had been constructed demanded construction of approaching metal roads to facilitate the commuters and let the people benefit from the bridge built by spending huge money from public kitty.
They demanded the Punjab Chief Minister and the Prime Minister immediately release funds for completion of roads on either sides leading to the bridge.