River Bridge In Bihar Collapses Before Inauguration, Gadkari Clarifies

Patna: A portion of a bridge over the Bakra river, built at an expenditure of Rs 12 crore in Bihar’s Araria district collapsed on Tuesday, before its inauguration.

The bridge was to connect Sikti and Kursakanta in the Araria district. Sikti MLA Vijay Kumar blamed the construction company and demanded an investigation.

The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari clarified that the bridge was not constructed by his ministry but the Rural Development Ministry of Bihar. In a post on X, Gadkari wrote, “The bridge that collapsed in Araria, Bihar was not constructed under the Central Road Transport Ministry. Its work was going on under the Rural Development Ministry of the Bihar Government.”

The Opposition RJD accused the NDA government in Bihar fro the bridge collapse and wrote in a post on X, “As soon as the NDA government comes into power, bridges start collapsing everywhere! The rampant corruption and kickbacks result in NDA leaders, corrupt officials, and contractors making a fortune.”

In March 2024, a bridge built over the Kosi river in Supaul of Bihar collapsed, killing a labourer. In 2023, a bridge built over the Ganga river in Sultanganj of Bihar also collapsed.