Bihar Bridge Collapse: PIL Filed In Patna High Court For Independent Investigation

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• Jun 6, 2023 | Dhupali Das

 A PIL has been submitted at the Patna High Court asking for an independent probe...

Digital Desk: A PIL has been submitted at the Patna High Court asking for an independent probe into the collapse of the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge in Bhagalpur, Bihar, which occurred on Sunday. In his written petition, Manibhushan Pratap Sengar, asked for an impartial investigation rather than a departmental probe and urged appropriate punishment against SP Singla Company, the construction firm involved in the bridge project. The PIL also sought reimbursement for the exchequer's losses incurred as a result of the bridge's collapse.

Amid growing political tensions surrounding the bridge collapse in Bihar, Tej Pratap Yadav, a minister and leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was responsible for the bridge's destruction.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party has destroyed the bridge. We are constructing the bridge while they are demolishing it," Tej Pratap Yadav told reporters on Monday.

After the collapse of the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an assessment of all under-construction bridges in Bihar.

Blaming the lack of audits, Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said, "This is the second time the bridge has collapsed, this is a conspiracy, what was done when it collapsed the first time? What legal measures were brought against the bridge's construction company? While focusing on unifying the opposition, Nitish Kumar neglects Bihar. If a bridge collapses for the second time, this is cause for concern...I hope that all bridges under construction are audited..."

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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an investigation into the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Bhagalpur and has directed officials to identify those guilty.

Nitish Kumar directed officials on Monday to take harsh punishment against those responsible for the "poor construction work" on the under-construction Ganga bridge.

"The bridge that collapsed yesterday had collapsed last year also.  I've told the relevant authorities to look into the situation carefully. The reason it keeps collapsing is because it is not being built properly. Inquiries will be made by the department. I have told officials to go to the location and action will be taken," CM Nitish Kumar said on Monday.