Bihar CM Loses Cool Over Delays Amidst Bridge Collapses

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar urged an IAS officer to expedite JP Ganga Path’s extension during a tense on-stage moment. This comes in the wake of 10 recent bridge collapses, prompting political friction and suspension of several engineers tied to infrastructural failures.

In a rare public display of frustration, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar admonished an IAS officer during an on-stage interaction, urging the completion of the JP Ganga Path extension up to Kangan Ghat in Patna. 'I touch your feet, please finish the work on time,' Kumar fervently requested.

The urgency expressed by Kumar stems from a series of recent bridge collapses in Bihar, which have ignited a political row between the ruling Janata Dal United and the opposition. In response to the ongoing infrastructure issues, the state government has suspended multiple engineers from the Water Resources Department and the Rural Works Department.

Concerns over infrastructure safety and maintenance have been mounting, with at least 10 bridges collapsing in Bihar over just a few weeks. Notably, a bridge in Saran district fell last week, contributing to the distressing string of incidents. Investigations revealed negligence and a lack of proper technical supervision, prompting decisive action from state authorities.

According to a government press release, several engineers have been suspended for failing to ensure the safety of the bridges. Among them are Amit Anand, Executive Engineer, Flood Control Division, and Kumar Brajesh, Executive Engineer, Water Discharge Division, along with other officials from various departments.

To address the damage, the press release stated that new bridges would be constructed at the expense of the executive contractor. An investigation team, led by Nirmal Kumar, Chief Engineer of the Rural Works Department in Purnia, has been formed to examine the damaged structures.

Further disciplinary actions have been taken against several officials, including Anjani Kumar, former Executive Engineer of the Rural Works Department, for their roles in the dereliction of duty related to the damaged bridges.