How will Army move from Gandhi Setu if China attacks India: HC asks Bihar Govt

Patna, Dec 5: At a time when Bihar government is saying that the Centre will be "squarely responsible" if road connectivity were to snap at any point of time due to dilapidated condition of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu on river Ganga, Patna High Court rapped the Jitan Ram Manjhi government for poor condition of the bridge on river Ganga which is said to be lifeline between north and south Bihar.

Slamming the Bihar government for poor condition, the court said, "If there is a situation of war between India and China, how will the military movement take place and how will the Army vehicles move?"

Court said this while hearing the PIL of MP from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat, Shatrughan Sinha, on the poor condition of Rajendra Bridge in Mokama.

On Wednesday, a senior Bihar minister on Wednesday said that the Centre will be "squarely responsible" if road connectivity were to snap at any point of time due to dilapidated condition of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu on Ganga.

"We are really concerned with the condition of Mahatma Gandhi Setu built on the river Ganga due to its ever deteriorating condition... the road connectivity between north and south Bihar may come to a grinding halt if the bridge becomes non-operational at any point of time," Bihar Road Construction Department (RCD) Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh told reporters.

He said the Centre will be squarely responsible if the road connectivity on the Mahatma Gandhi Setu were to ever stop and disrupt road connectivity between north and south Bihar as the crucial bridge happens to be the sole lifeline between the two regions of Bihar.

Slamming Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for lethargy for not following up to his televised commitment on maintenance of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Singh said that not a single note or letter has been received as to how it was going to proceed with maintenance of the said dilapidated bridge or construct a new bridge altogether.

Imputing motive behind "lackadaisical" approach of the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry to take note of deteriorating condition of the Setu and undertake remedial measures with the said infrastructure being a matter of Central jurisdiction, the RCD Minister went as far to allege that there could be 'political reasons' behind apathy of the said central ministry about the crucial bridge.

Stating that the state government was helpless to undertake repair or rehabilitation of the Setu which falls under NHAI jurisdiction, Singh said that the Road Transport and Highways ministry was not coming up with proposals for repair of the said bridge nor delegating authority to Bihar to so do from its own resources.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)