Bihar Govt Suspends 15 Engineers After 12 Bridges Collapse in 17 Days

Patna: The Bihar government has taken stringent action following a series of bridge collapses, suspending 15 engineers accused of negligence.

The decision, announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration, includes plans for the reconstruction of the affected bridges, with costs to be borne by culpable contractors.

The move comes after investigations by flying squads revealed lapses in engineering negligence and contractor diligence as primary causes for the collapse of bridges. Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary of the State Water Resources Department, underlined the engineers’ failure to ensure proper care and highlighted contractors’ lack of diligence.

“Engineers appear to have been negligent, and contractors were not diligent,” remarked Prasad during a media briefing.

The bridge collapse in Saran district on Thursday brings the total number of collapses to 12 in the past 17 days.

Deepak Singh, Secretary of the Rural Works Department (RWD), commented on the situation, noting, “The bridge over River Bakhra in Araria was first reported damaged on June 18. Both state and central teams are investigating, resulting in the suspension of four engineers. Payments to involved contractors will be withheld pending the investigation’s completion, with final actions against contractors and consultants to follow the investigating teams’ reports.”