Bihar has urged the Centre to set up a joint committee of central and state officials to regularly monitor the condition of Gandhi Setu.

The state made the proposal to a central committee consisting of Union road transport and highways officials that met road construction department minister Tejaswi on Wednesday. The central team consisted of director-general (road development) and special secretary to the ministry of road transport and highways S.N. Das and two senior engineers, R.K. Singh and B.N. Singh. They had come to discuss construction of a new bridge across the Ganga (parallel to Gandhi Setu) that the Centre plans to build. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari had made the announcement during the Assembly elections.

"This new bridge the Centre is talking about seems to exist only on paper," Tejaswi said after the meeting. "God knows when it will come up. But the Gandhi Setu exists and is in need of urgent repair. A Japan International Cooperation Agency report says Rs 2,800 crore is required for its overhaul. A different survey by an agency the Centre hired says Rs 1,800 crore is required. Whatever the surveys say, the Setu needs urgent repair."

He added: "I have asked the central officials to form a committee to keep a tab on the condition of Gandhi Setu. I was specific because just holding meetings would not deliver results. If anything is taking place with regard to Gandhi Setu, someone needs to follow it up. A joint committee could be of great help."