A river bridge under Biju Setu scheme has started showing cracks within a short period of its commissioning in Bargarh district and locals fear to use it.
It is alleged that the contractor in nexus with officials and leaders has embezzled lakhs of rupees from substandard work. The bridge was constructed on the Anga river from Deuli to Nagenmal village under the Bheuria Panchayat in Padmapur sub-division of Bargarh district.
Rs 10 crore was the budget and after the bridge was constructed, the locals were very upbeat. The bridge links the Padmapur main road with nearby villages like Nagenmal, Charpali, Bhalukna, Lamarjuna, Jamkher, Khemhedkher. The construction for the 285-meter-long pole on the Anga river began in 2014 and was completed in October 2020. Less than six months later,a crack appeared on the bridge road.
On the other hand, the condition of the pillars on the side of the road is deplorable. Not just one or two but all the pillars are the same. The guardrails are also not packed properly. Locals are now afraid of using the bridge. "The State Government is abusing Bijubabu's name and using the name of Bijubabu as a slogan," said a local BJP leader and representative of the Bargarh MP. He blamed the State Government for its silence as the officials who are involved in corruption are moving unscathed.
The PC culture has its worst result by way of substandard bridge work here. On the other hand, the departmental engineer said that the contractor company had been instructed to repair the bridge.