Bridge that derailed 3 PMs

<div class="section0"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">RAJAHMUNDRY: Here’s the story of a one-of-its-kind rail bridge that takes the load of numerous trains every day, but is yet to be inaugurated.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">The bow-and-string bridge across the Godavari has been in service since March 1997. Unique that it is, this structure needed a PM to dedicate it to the nation.Not that there weren’t any interested. But whoever expressed the inclination lost power.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">I K Gujral was the first casualty. He was slated to formally throw the 2,732-m bridge open to railway traffic. The date was fixed, but he postponed it. A second date was set but he lost power. Then came H D Deve Gowda. He too was about to snip the ribbon. But when it was showtime, he was out. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">A B Vajpayee’s case was even more curious. The first time he was about to make the trip to the bridge, his government was toppled by one vote. So, when he headed the NDA government, local BJP leaders ensured he never came this way.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Now, Congressmen say they’d do everything to ensure Manmohan Singh doesn’t even think of cutting the ribbon for the bridge, the foundation stone for which was laid in 1978.</span></div> </div>