Shunted engineer back in Bihar bridge-building panel
The construction of the bridge began in 2014 after chief minister Nitish Kumar laid its foundation on February 23, and it was expected to be completed in 2019
PATNA
On June 4, the 3.15-km-long bridge being built in Bihar on the river Ganga between Aguanighat in Khagaria district and Sultanganj in Bhagalpur collapsed.
On June 5, Sunil Kumar, the deputy chief engineer of the project was transferred, as was secretary to the managing director of Bihar Raj Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), Niraj Saxena. Saxena was a served show notice and was removed as MD of BRPNNL and Abhay Kumar Singh, secretary, tourism, was on June 11 given the additional charge of the corporation as MD. The BRPNNL is responsible for building bridges in the state.
A day after (June 12), the general administrative department (GAD) issued fresh notification and Singh was made chairman of the BRPNNL and Sunil Kumar was elevated as the MD of BRPNNL.
On June 5, Vijay Kumar, an executive engineer removed from the project last year after part of it collapsed, was made the new deputy chief engineer, effectively replacing Kumar. Saxena was transferred to the cabinet vigilance department on June 30, and is all likely to be notified as engineer-in-chief there by virtue of being the senior most engineering. Cabinet vigilance department is the highest inquiring authority in the state government.
And the Haryana-based firm involved in the project, SP Singla Construction Ltd, has been allowed to go ahead with construction of the bridge.
In Bihar clearly, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
The construction of the 3.16-kilometre-long bridge began in 2014 after chief minister Nitish Kumar laid its foundation on February 23. The bridge was expected to be completed in 2019.
Saxena, posted as monitoring division as chief engineer after his removal as MD of BRPNNL wasn’t available for comment, but officials in the state’s Road Construction Department said he had little role in supervision of the bridge construction as he took over as the managing director of the company only in December last year, even as the construction work has been going on since 2015.
BRPNNL MD Kumar claimed he was not directly associated with the construction during his posting as deputy chief engineer in the project also declined to comment, citing the ongoing probe by the state government.
Meanwhile, additional chief secretary (road) Pratyaya Amrit, who has been leading the probe, has so far conducted two rounds of hearings with the construction firm , officials familiar with the matter said.
Amrit did not respond to several calls and messages seeking comment.
An official, who was part of the hearings but did not want to be named, said the construction company has admitted to a fault in the bridge design and offered to construct the bridge and remove the debris from the river at no additional cost.
Engineer in chief of Bihar’s RCD Hanuman Prasad Chaudhary declined comment. “We will look into the engineering aspect once the BRPNNL sends its report on it,” he said.
The Patna High Court is also hearing a case on the matter.
“The claims of removal of debris from river Ganga are another eyewash, as there is no proven technology for the purpose. Moreover, it will not be easy to remove the debris when the river has turned in spate and also because the ecology of the river, which is being developed as the dolphin sanctuary,” said an engineer who didn’t wish to be named.
On June 7, the high court took cognisance of a public interest litigation filed by a Congress leader, Lalan Kumar, and asked the managing director of SP Singla Construction Limited and the state government to file a detailed reply within two weeks on the collapse of bridge.
The next hearing is due on August 12, according to petitioner’s advocate Chandan Kumar. He said the respondents could not file their reply as directed by the court and have sought addition time.
Advocate general PK Shahi appeared on behalf of the government.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, in its preliminary report submitted to the government days after the June 5 collapse, pointed to faults in “design and workmanship along with issues with construction materials”, which led to the accident.
Soon after the incident, RCD claimed to have initiated the process of black-listing the construction company, which was given 15 days to reply.