After failing to elicit a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about repair and reconstruction of Bihar's lifeline Mahatma Gandhi Setu over Ganga, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and urged him to immediately take up the reconstruction of this bridge which connects north Bihar to the State capital.
The CM only on last Saturday had made this request to PM Modi during the inauguration of two rail bridges at a function near Hajipur. However, the PM did not make any comment on his plea.
Nitish told Gadkari that Bihar had been continuously following up the Centre for taking up the total rehabilitation and change of superstructure of highly stressed bridge keeping in view its critical importance for connectivity with north Bihar. "I have been informed that the proposal for reconstruction of existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu has been accorded approval on March 11, 2016 at an estimated cost of Rs1,765 crore. Since this bridge is the only link between north and south Bihar and the proposal for its reconstruction is pending for the last five years, it is requested that necessary approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs may kindly be obtained at the earliest. Pending this approval, tenders for reconstruction of the bridge may kindly be invited as has been the practice in the Ministry for all such critically important projects," said Nitish, a former Minister of Surface Transport.