The proposed Dobra Chanthi bridge is becoming a bone in the throat of the State Government. The angry villagers from Pratapnagar demanded a CBI probe into the alleged corruption involving the bridge construction.
The work on the 760- metre bridge began in 2006 to connect Pratapnagar with New Tehri headquarters. The work began at Dobra Chanthi at the 850 Rl of the Tehri lake. But things got stuck due to the design of the bridge not matching on the ground. So far Rs 130 crore has been spent while only 320 meter RCC approach road and span on both sides of the bridge have been built.
Acting on the vigorous stir by the people, the state government had given a Rs 10.73 crore contract in 2014 to Yosheen Engineering Corporation’s joint venture VKS Infratech Pvt ltd for project consultancy. The company was instructed to make the design in nine months and finish the construction in 18 months.
Rajeshwar Painuly of Dobra Chanthi Bridge Bachao Sangharsh Samilti said that the state government has been misguiding the people. “On one hand, the state government is insisting that the construction of the bridge would begin in two months while, on the other, the design of the bridge has proved faulty. The Samiti demands that the state government should stop confusing the people and instead come out with a ‘white paper’ to clear the air of confusion, he added.