Amid a series of bridge collapses in Bihar, State Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday said that investigations are ongoing and action will be taken against negligent officers.
Patna: In response to a series of recent bridge collapses in Bihar, the state government has suspended 14 engineers, a senior official confirmed on Friday. The decision followed the submission of a report by a probe panel to the Water Resources Department (WRD).
“It was found that engineers were negligent and monitoring was ineffective… that is the main reason behind the collapse of small bridges and causeways in the state,” Additional Chief Secretary of WRD, Chaitanya Prasad, told reporters here. Those suspended include three executive engineers.
A total of 10 bridges collapsed in Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in the past 17 days, officials said.
Watch:
BIG BREAKING 🚨
6 bridges collapsed in Bihar in the last 24 hours, 12 in last 15 days!
Masterstroke by Modi, Another Gem from NDA ruled Bihar 🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/TPk6HTWw3M
— Ankit Mayank (@mr_mayank) July 5, 2024
Amid a series of bridge collapses in Bihar, State Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday said that investigations are ongoing and action will be taken against negligent officers.
“I am getting each and everything investigated. I have given directions for swift action. I will get a list issued – when was it built, who built it. As per the information we have received, they were built by recommendations of several MLAs. Everything is being investigated. Action will be taken, there is no doubt about it. Action will be taken against negligent officers,” Choudhary said.
Notably, five bridges in Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani districts collapsed across the state in June last month. The first incident of a bridge collapse was reported on June 18 in Araria.
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Give the rate at which bridges are collapsing in Bihar, I have serious doubts if Ashoka won the Kalinga war.
– Weak Ruler, Weak Bridgespic.twitter.com/MGEXvqxnmD— Lord Immy Kant (Eastern Exile) (@KantInEast) July 4, 2024
On June 22, a bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan, approximately 40-45 years old, also fell. On June 23, a bridge under construction in East Champaran, costing around Rs 1.5 crore, collapsed, with locals blaming the use of substandard materials. On June 18, a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra River in Pararia village of Bihar’s Araria district collapsed.
Last month, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Jitan Ram Manjhi, raised concerns over the recurrent collapse of bridges in Bihar, claiming a possible conspiracy behind the incidents.
“It is a matter of concern that bridges are collapsing (in Bihar). It looks as if poor-quality material might have been used. But why were the bridges not collapsing before 15 days or a month ago? Why are they collapsing now? Is there a conspiracy behind it?” Manjhi said.
A total of six bridges collapsed on the Gandak river in Bihar’s Siwan and Saran over the last two days, officials said, blaming engineers and contractors for the back-to-back incidents.
Several projects, including the de-siltation of rivers, were initiated after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took feedback in Gopalganj and adjoining areas. It seems that engineers did not take care and the contractors were not careful, officials said, adding, “Engineers concerned seem to be at fault prima facie.”
(With inputs from agencies)
