Under scrutiny: Kharkai bridge construction

Jamshedpur, June 29: Jan Kalyan Morcha, the NGO that forced the state to give a nod for second road-bridge over Kharkai, is taking its task of monitoring the construction seriously.

For this, it has set up a special cell to monitor bridge construction work after Mangotia Constructions, a construction firm, entered into the bridge-construction agreement with the state government.

The monitoring cell will comprise civil engineers, advocate and social activists. It will also include representatives of various political parties in its panel.

According to sources in the public works department (road construction), the designing of the road-bridge would be finalised soon and spade work for bridge construction will begin. Sources said the proposed road-bridge, estimated to be set up at a cost of about Rs 15 crore, has to be completed in 18 months from the time of commencement. The construction work will begin at the end of this year.

Om Prakash, the president of the NGO, told The Telegraph that they were eager to have a separate monitoring cell for bridge construction activities. “The recent floods showed us that the proposed bridge over the Kharkai has to be set up flawlessly. Otherwise, the fate of the bridge would be like the road-bridge washed away at Hazaribagh,” he said.

Elaborating on the need to set up a monitoring cell, Om Prakash said contractors have to face a lot of hurdles in carrying out construction in government contracts. “A contractor has to pay commission to, among others, the departmental authorities and local goons. In this way, the profits that he is supposed to make out of the bridge construction, goes out to all such parties. As a result, the contractor tends to carries out a sub-standard job, keeping only the profit factor in mind. When the work is sub-standard, there will be every possibility that it may either collapse or develop cracks as is happening with several road-bridges across the state,” he said.

Prakash said that the NGO would not allow any anomaly to take place in the Kharkai bridge construction.

“We will not only remain alert about the ratio of cement and sand mixed but also see whether the kind of steel being used follows specifications. We will stop the bridge construction if we find any flaw on the part of the contractor,” he said, adding that they would apprise the newly-appointed Kolhan commissioner, Nidhi Khare, about the monitoring committee.