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Cong smells bungling in bridge work, says minister must quit
PATNA
PATNA
Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra on Tuesday sought road construction department (RCD) minister Nand Kishore Yadav’s resignation and an inquiry into the “glaring irregularities” in the reconstruction of Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Setu.
Citing the Controller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, Mishra claimed all the charges of “wrongdoings” he had levelled in the reconstruction of MG Setu were corroborated by in the audit report, to be tabled in Parliament soon.
“I have time and again raising the issue in the state legislature and outside for the last one year, but the minister either chose to mislead the House or refused to reply the charges,” claimed Mishra, adding that Yadav and officials of the RCD owned the responsibility of supervising the bridge project, being executed by the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH).
The audit report, Mishra alleged, pointed out that the construction company used a substandard grade steel, E-410, in contravention of the stipulated scope of work, which specified the use of HPS-70W make steel in the reconstruction of superstructure of the bridge. The report also noted that Grade E-410 steel is not used in bridge construction anywhere in the world.
Citing the CAG report, Mishra alleged that the RCD executive engineer Sunil Kumar Singh, who was supervising the project execution, was transferred by the state government after he raised objections to the use of substandard quality steel and the way old concrete superstructure was dismantled. “Resident engineer of the project, IN Mishra, and team leader of the consultant company, Prashant Bhattacharya, were also removed from the project for their opposition to the irregularities,” claimed the Congress leader.
Alleging that about Rs 1,000 crore were siphoned off in the Rs 1742-crore project for complete overhaul of the bridge, which was first opened as the longest cantilever bridge on river in 1982, Mishra claimed the construction firm, AFCON Infra, had dismantled the old superstructure by using ‘crossing’ method instead of cutting it.
“As per the terms and conditions of the contract, the construction firm was supposed to dismantle the superstructure by cutting to save bridge remains from falling into the river Ganga. By using crossing technique, the company saved Rs 200 crore out of Rs 300 crore allotted for it under the contract,” Mishra, who is also also the All India Congress Committee (AICC) media panellist, said, while asking the chief minister to clarify his stand on “rampant corruption” resorted to by the RDC and other various departments.
The Congress leader also alleged that officials of revenue and land reforms department kept more than Rs 299 crore in their personal account instead of depositing it to the government’s treasury. “Vehicles were purchased from the fund meant for disaster management,” he alleged.
The MoRTH had allotted work for reconstruction of superstructure of the dilapidated 5.57-km-long Mahatma Gandhi Setu to a joint venture company, AFCON, at a cost of Rs 1,742 crore, which was approved by the Union cabinet in July 2016. The RDC had deployed a team of engineers, led by an executive engineer, to monitor execution of the project.
RCD principal secretary Amrit Lal Meena could not be contacted for his comment. However, another senior official, pleading anonymity, claimed that the state government had raised all the issues with officials of the MoRTH. “The audit objection would be replied suitably,” he said.
Bridging the gap
Cost of reconstruction as sanctioned by Centre: Rs 1,765 crore
Start of reconstruction: June 2017
Project Deadline: June 2021
Likely opening of one lane for traffic: April 2020
Scheduled deadline finish work on western flank: November 2018
Length of Mahatma Gandhi setu: 5.57km
Old type of bridge: Longest cantilever bridge opened in 1982
Total number of pillars: 47
Deadline to complete work on western flank: November 2018
Construction firm: Afcons Infra
