Bihar govt suspends 15 engineers over bridge collapse incidents
Patna, Jul 5: The Bihar government on Friday suspended 15 engineers in connection with a series of recent incidents of bridge collapse in the state, a senior official said.
The decision was taken after a probe panel submitted its report to the Water Resources Department (WRD).
A total of 10 bridges collapsed in Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in the past 17 days, officials said.
The report found that the engineers were “negligent” and monitoring was “ineffective”, which is the main reason behind the collapse of small bridges and causeways in the state, Additional Chief Secretary of WRD, Chaitanya Prasad, told reporters here.
Those suspended include four executive engineers.
“The Rural Works Department has also initiated the process of blacklisting the contractor who was involved in the construction of the bridge in Araria district. The department has also stopped payment of the contractor/firm for its previous work till the completion of the probe,” said Dipak Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, RWD.
Besides, the department has sought explanation from officials concerned for the collapse of bridges in East Champaran on June 23 and in Madhubani on June 26.
“A probe has already been ordered into the collapse of RWD bridges in these two districts,” said Singh.
Commenting on the bridge collapse incidents, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told reporters: “Why are leaders of the NDA-led Bihar government, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, maintaining a stoic silence… These incidents prove how corruption is rampant in the ruling dispensation."
“The portfolio of the RWD, which constructs most of the small bridges in the state, is always with JD(U) leaders. Who should be held responsible for this mess?” the former deputy CM said.
Reacting to Yadav’s comments, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Union minister and founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), which is an alliance partner of the NDA, said the matter should not be politicised.
“Our chief minister has already issued strict instructions to senior officials of the department to take stern action against those who are found guilty,” he said.
Chirag Paswan, the chief of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), another alliance partner of the NDA, added: “The NDA government in Bihar has taken the matter very seriously, and action is being initiated against the erring officials and contractors.”
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ED moves SC challenging bail to Hemant Soren in money laundering case
New Delhi, Jul 8: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Jharkhand High Court's order granting bail to JMM leader Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The high court had on June 28 granted bail to Soren, who on July 4 took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand.
Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as chief minister shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED in the case.
Earlier during the hearing in the high court, ED's counsel had argued that if Soren was released on bail, he might commit a similar offence and referred to cases against ED officers in the SC/ST police station.
"Though the conduct of the petitioner has been sought to be highlighted by the Enforcement Directorate on account of the First Information Report instituted by the petitioner against the officials of the ED, but on an overall conspectus of the case, there is no likelihood of the petitioner committing a similar nature of offence," the high court had said.
The single bench order had also mentioned that the consequence of the findings recorded by the court "satisfies the condition as at section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 to the effect that there is reason to believe that the petitioner is not guilty of the offence as alleged".
Soren was summoned multiple times by the ED before being questioned at his residence and subsequently arrested on January 31.
