CHIEF MINISTER RCC HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE BUILT ON CHHER RIVER IS UNCLAIMED  SINCE 14 YEARS

CHIEF MINISTER RCC HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE BUILT ON CHHER RIVER IS UNCLAIMED  SINCE 14 YEARS

8-JULY-ENG 23

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------On one hand Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government never tires of claiming 'development with justice', on the other hand, the much talked about Chief Minister RCC high level bridge built on Cher river in Uttdahan Hetampur situated in Jagdishpur region of Bhojpur district is exposing the policies of his own government. This bridge has remained just an 'object of beauty' for the last 14 years. This bridge built at a cost of Rs 3 crore has not been connected to the road till date, due to which the hopes of thousands of people of this area have been dashed.

It is said that the foundation stone of this bridge was laid on 14 August 2010 by Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited under the Chief Minister Setu Yojana. Work on it also progressed rapidly and within just one year i.e. on 10 June 2011, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated it. But the irony is that this inauguration remained a mere ‘photo session’ because the bridge has not been connected to the connecting road yet. Social activist Vinod Verma’s attack – “The bridge was built but the road was not built”

Social activist and advocate Vinod Verma, while attacking the government, said that this bridge is a victim of the government and local public representatives’ neglect and political step-motherly treatment. He said that this bridge still stands like an incomplete dream. A bridge without a connecting road is of no use.

Verma said that in the year 2013, a sit-in was also held on this issue at Kargil Chowk, Gandhi Maidan, Patna, but the result is zero till date. No initiative, no action plan, and no accountability. He raised the question that how was a bridge, which cost crores, inaugurated without a connecting road? Is this not an administrative failure?

Uttadahan village is a major vegetable producing area. The green vegetables from here go to Bhojpur, Patna and other districts of Bihar and other states. If this bridge is connected to the road, then not only will the farmers here have easy access to the market, but the cost of transportation of goods will also be reduced. This will also strengthen the economy of the region.

The problems of farmers and common people are not limited to this only. In the rainy season, the situation becomes even more horrific. People are forced to cross the river risking their lives. In such a situation, instead of helping them, this bridge has become a structure worth seeing. This bridge can become a bridge connecting Buxar and Bhojpur

Vinod Verma said that if this bridge is connected to the link road, then it will work to directly connect Buxar and Bhojpur districts. This will benefit lakhs of people from dozens of villages of both the districts. This can prove to be the backbone of regional development, provided the government takes it as a priority. Silence of the government and the so-called big leaders

The most surprising thing is that despite this issue being raised for so many years, the government and the regional leaders have not taken any concrete steps on it. The public kept pleading and staging protests again and again, but the government and the leaders did not pay heed.

Verma alleged that this bridge is a victim of political conspiracy. The government is deliberately ignoring it so that no one else gets its benefit. Is this not 'injustice to the public'? Mukhyamantri Setu Yojana under question

Verma has asked a direct question to the government - how did this bridge get approved without a connecting road? Is this not the failure of the Mukhyamantri Setu Yojana? Is this scheme running only on paper?

Now this question is on the lips of every citizen of the area, when will justice be done to this bridge? Will the government leave it unclaimed like this or will it take a concrete decision under the pressure of the public?