Holding Works Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan ‘completely’ responsible for the collapse of the under-construction high-level bridge over Mahanadi river at Jatamundia on Jatamundia-Subarnapur road recently causing a huge loss to the State exchequer, sources are of the view that a CBI probe is needed to ascertain the exact reason behind the bridge collapse.
The sources among engineers said the construction of the 2,070-metre-long bridge had begun in January 2008 under the direct supervision of current Works Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan, who was the Chief Engineer at that time and was responsible in awarding of the contract for the job to Rajlaxmi Construction.
“The contract was awarded in an arbitrary manner at 15 per cent more than the basic allotment rate,” alleged the engineers, adding that five spans of the bridge caved in due to substandard use of raw materials and lack of proper supervision of higher authorities, including the Works Secretary.
Also coming down heavily on the Government for suspending the concerned SDO and JE on the charge of dereliction of duty, they questioned the provision under which the contractor had constructed the roofs of the five spans of the bridge in rainy season and whether any senior engineers or the current Chief Engineer had visited the site for supervision in recent past.
Further questioning the impartiality of the high-level committee constituted by the Works Secretary to investigate the bridge collapse, the engineers alleged that the Works Secretary has tactically included a relative of his, a Chief Engineer, in the committee as a member.