As the opposition parties lashed out on the ruling NDA government in Bihar over the alleged media reports of Sattarghat bridge collapse, the state road construction department made it clear that there is no damage done to the bridge. The department clarified that the approach road 2 kilometers ahead of the said bridge got washed away due to the heavy water pressure.
Amrit Lal Meena, Additional Chief Secretary, State Road Construction Department said, “About two kilometers from the main bridge, on the side of Gopalganj, an approach road of 18 meters long bridge has been eroded by the heavy water pressure of Gandak river. This bridge is situated inside the embankment area of Gandak. There is no damage to the bridge. The main bridge is absolutely safe and traffic will be restored on the road once water pressure reduces. There is no question of irregularities in its construction. This is a natural disaster”.
The whole issue started when some of the media, in a hurry to break the news, reported that the newly constructed bridge in Gopalganj district got washed away by the floodwaters. Apparently, Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the ambitious bridge on April 5, 2012, which got inaugurated last month. The 1.44-km-long bridge, built at a cost of Rs 263.47 crore, reduced the distance between Gopalganj, Saran, and East Champaran districts by 45 km.
The opposition parties, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Madan Mohan Jha, made no delay in criticizing the government for this mishap.
The BJP also returned the favors to RJD by calling it “specialists in corruption”. BJP Spokesperson Nikhil Anand tweeted, “The RJD, which itself has specialized in corruption is making false propaganda. CM Nitish Kumar’s target is to make corruption-free development. The bridge is completely safe only an approach road two kilometers ahead of the bridge has been washed away. The minister of the road construction department is an efficient minister who has brought a revolution in the road network. The RJD should publicly apologize for false propaganda”.
