Bihar: Cracks, potholes seen on Rs 220-crore highway on inauguration day

Cracks and potholes have been detected on a 5-km stretch of a Rs 220-crore state highway in Patna, the same day it was inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Giving out information, a Bihar Assembly committee said fish were found swimming in the floodwater that had accumulated.

“I had received a complaint from the Chenari Congress MLA Murari Gautam. We visited the spot on 24 August and 25 August. We found cracks at several places between Akbarnagar and Sriramnagar. We talked to local residents and raised the matter before BSRDC officials,” Vidhan Sabha Zero Hour Committee chairman Chandrahas Chaupal (RJD) was quoted by the Indian Express as saying.

Raj Kumar, BSRDC DGM (Technical) also said, “There were cracks at some stretches of the newly-constructed road because flood water had been flowing on it for 12 days. We were not able to carry out concrete fencing work on either side of the road because of floods.”

The DGM said the soil at the base had been eroded and was now being repaired.

Lalan Kumar said: “We found fish in a pit in the middle of the road. By no standard was the road ready for opening.”

“The work quality is substandard. There needs to be a thorough inquiry into the matter to fix responsibility on the construction company and BSRDC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chaupal said the MLA would take up the issue during zero hour and that it would be pursued by the Zero Hour Committee.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated four state highways having a total length of 130 km and constructed at a cost of over Rs 1,121 crore.

While three of the state highways are in south Bihar, one is in the northern part of the state.

“The CM virtually inaugurated these state highways and now they have been opened for the public”, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

Congratulating officials of the state road construction department for the timely completion of these projects, Kumar highlighted that the condition of roads in the state has drastically improved in the last few years.

“Our target is to make travel time from any village in the state to Patna by road within five hours”, the chief minister said.

Kumar further said the state government had formulated a comprehensive maintenance policy as part of which every contractor would be given the responsibility of maintaining roads, built by him, for at least five years.

Besides, the road construction department has already decided to build new bypasses in 120 urban locations for removing traffic congestion in the state, the chief minister said.

News Credit: India TV News