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Synopsis

The Patna High Court ordered S.P. Singhla Construction Private Limited, the firm awarded the contract by the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited, to submit a study report relating to the construction work at the site on specific points, detailing the causes that might have caused the collapse of part of the four-lane Aguani Ghat – Sultanganj Bridge.

The single judge bench of Justice Purnendu Singh directed the Managing director of M/S S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd to be present physically in the court with his expert team on June 21, 2023, at 10:30 am.

The court further directed the State government to submit an action taken report (ATR) as well.

The court was hearing a PIL wherein a request had been made to blacklist the firm which was entrusted with the task of construction of 23.16 KM. long four lane Sultanganj Aguani Ghat Bridge.

The petitioner sought adequate compensation immediately to the nearest member of the family of a guard of the Pvt. Firm in question, who had gone missing after the bridge collapsed on June 04, 2023.

Through the PIL, the petitioner asked for further direction to conduct an enquiry into the collapse of part of the bridge.

The court noted that the estimated cost of construction of the bridge as informed was Rs.1710 crore. According to newspaper reports, the cause of the bridge's collapse was that the pillars could not support the load of the superstructure.

The high court expressed shock by the collapse of constructed part of the bridge which was being constructed over the river Ganga to connect the Sultanganj, Bhagalpur district, and Aguani Ghat in Khagaria district on June 4, as some portion of the bridge had collapsed on April 13, 2022.

The court also expressed concern to safeguard the interest of the public at large and to prevent the misuse of public money and the exploitation of natural resources in the interest of society and the common people, which had been caused due to laxity of the authority of the State Government and the contractor.

“The State Government had taken this matter seriously and had also taken action against its authorities and the Company,” the court noted.

The matter is listed on June 21, 2023, at 10:30 A.M for further consideration. 

Case title - Lalan Kumar vs. The State of Bihar