Rehabilitation of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu should start only after mobilisation of manpower, material and machinery, deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav made this suggestion to Union minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Tejashwi, who also heads the road construction department, told Gadkari, the Union minister for road transport and highways, that the work should start only if adequate resources were at hand, because dismantling the bridge without that would throw traffic into chaos.
"I informed Gadkari ji that the Gandhi Setu is the lifeline of Bihar and dismantling the bridge without making all the necessary arrangements would create traffic chaos," Tejashwi told The Telegraph over phone from New Delhi after his meeting ended. "Rajiv Pratap Rudy (the BJP MP from Chhapra) was present in the meeting and he also agreed to my suggestion."
The Mahatma Gandhi Setu is the main link between Patna and north Bihar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate rehabilitation work of the bridge - dismantling of the existing structure for replacement with a steel framework - over remote control on January 15 but it was deferred because of the boat capsize tragedy near Sabbalpur diara on January 14.
Tejashwi also told Gadkari on Wednesday that dismantling the bridge would require special platforms to be placed underneath it, which would take at least two to three months to reach Patna.
"I told Gadkari ji that to cut such a huge superstructure, we need heavy machines such as barge, and there are some machines which will be imported from Germany. The rehabilitation work also requires the approval of the general administration department of Union ministry of road transport and highways. It needs mobilisation of manpower. So without all these preparations it would not be wise to hamper traffic movement on the Setu," Tejashwi, who is on a visit to the capital to discuss with the Centre several of Bihar projects, said. Secretary, road construction, Pankaj Kumar has accompanied the deputy chief minister.
The Union cabinet had on July 22, 2016, approved the rehabilitation project for an estimated cost of Rs 1,742.01 crore. Of total investments, Rs 237 crore will be spent on dismantling the structure that will be replaced by the steel framework. An IIT-Roorkee team had assessed the condition of the Gandhi Setu and suggested the Union road transport and highways ministry to replace the superstructure with a steel framework. More than 85,000 vehicles pass over 5.575-km-long Gandhi Setu bridge daily. But its dilapidated condition warrants a revamp of the lifeline bridge.
Afcon Infrastructure Ltd has been selected for the redevelopment work and the agency had claimed to complete the work in 40 months.
Tejashwi said Gadkari's "response was positive". "He assured us that whatever decision the state government takes with regard to the rehabilitation work of Gandhi Setu, it would be considered by the Centre," said Tejashwi who met the Union minister for an hour from 2pm.
The road construction department has organised a meeting in Patna on February 15 to discuss further development over the Gandhi Setu. Chief minister Nitish Kumar will also attend it.
"Gadkari ji has said he would send a representative from his ministry to attend that meeting," Tejashwi said.
He also raised the issue of allotting central road fund for maintenance of national highways in Bihar before Gadkari, apart from upgrading 2269km of state highways and major district roads into national highways.
