E-Paper
Jharkhand: CAG report finds loopholes in rural bridges’ construction, recommends safety audit
According to the report, the consultants concerned did not conduct the required geotechnical investigations, hydrological and traffic data analysis
Finding major loopholes in planning and construction of bridges in rural areas in the state, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has recommended safety audit of all rural bridges in Jharkhand and necessary repair and maintenance work.
In the report for the year ending March 2019, tabled in the assembly on Thursday, the central auditor has found several lapses in implementation of rural bridge projects under Mukhya Mantri Gram Setu Yojna (MMGSY) between 2014 and 2019.
According to the report, the consultants concerned did not conduct the required geotechnical investigations, hydrological and traffic data analysis. As a result, eight bridges constructed at a cost of ₹52.12.crore, out of the 42 test checked bridge works, got fully or partly damaged, it said.
In the absence of periodic maintenance of completed bridges, scouring in bridge foundations, wear and tear in expression joints and wearing coats and cracks in RCC (reinforced cement concrete) works and damages were noticed during joint physical verification, the report stated.
“The department should fix responsibility and take appropriate action against contractors, consultants and engineers responsible for sub-standard execution of work, deficiencies in design, wasteful expenditure and damage and collapse of bridges. The department should conduct a safety audit of the bridges in the state and carry out necessary repair and maintenance work,” the report said.
In May this year, a bridge constructed across the seasonal Kanchi river at the cost of over ₹13 crore in Ranchi district collapsed three years after its inauguration.
Besides poor quality work, the central auditor also highlighted that in absence of operational guidelines, there was almost no monitoring of locations selected for the bridges, lack of approach roads, and fault in designs.
“Though the department issued instructions through circulars/letters to manage the scheme and had a district rural road plan (DRRP) under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) with information on gaps in rural road network, these were not adhered to,” the report said.
