Patna: In a major embarrassment for the Bihar government, the super structure of the under-construction Sultanganj-Aguni Ghat bridge across Ganga has yet again collapsed on Sunday. Although no casualties were reported, the guard of the construction company is missing. Bihar government has blamed faulty design and warned of strict action against the erring officials.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that bridge was not being constructed properly so collapsed for the second time. He blamed it had a faulty design and warned of strict action against erring officials. Earlier, on April 2022, three pillars of the super structure of the same bridge had collapsed.
Deputy chief minister and road construction minister Tejashwi Yadav has ordered a high-level investigation into the matter. A meeting has been called today with the departmental officers, engineers and people of the construction company.
"This is the same bridge, whose super structure had collapsed 14 months back. We were in the Opposition at that time and had raised our voice against it. After we formed the government, we engaged IIT Roorkee to probe into the matter. It was then learnt that the bridge's pillar no. 5 was weak as a result of which the super structure fell apart. Now again, a similar incident has taken place. The matter will be investigated," Yadav said yesterday.
Blaming the government for the incident, BJP has demanded resignation of both chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Yadav. Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that the ruling government is involved in corruption and the collapse is a fall-out of this. The issue of poor construction of the bridge was repeatedly raised in the Assembly by the BJP MLAs.
"There is rampant corruption in the state. Officials are openly taking commissions and reaching out to people at the government. It is not a big deal to witness such an incident. The bridge had collapsed before and the current government had investigated but no action has been taken. We demand the chief minister and deputy chief minister to resign," Sinha said.
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The super structure connecting Bhagalpur's Sultanganj with Khagaria of the four-lane under-construction cable-stayed bridge suddenly collapsed yesterday. Sources said over 30 slabs of pillars no. 9, 10 and 11, measuring 100 ft, had collapsed.
Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone of this bridge on February 23, 2014 and the its estimated cost is around Rs 1,710 crores. A company named SP Singla is constructing the bridge. It was supposed to be ready by March 2020 but it has got delayed by more than three years. The 160 meter-long bridge will link NH-31 and 107 thereby connecting Sultanagnj with Khagaria, Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts of Bihar.
