Former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla has charged the Government of failing to fund the protection project since last three years leading to collapse of Dharap bridge worth two crores and demanded high level enquiry to fix responsibility. Addressing a press conference along with Sarpanchs and Panchs of the area at Congress Headquarter here, Bhalla disclosed that the protection work of the Dharap bridge was tendered and allotted worth Rs 44 lakh in 2017 to save the bridge but no funds were provided leading to the collapse of the important bridge. He said bridge was constructed by R&B in 2010 with the cost of over Rs 2 crore. He held BJP Government responsible for washing away of bridge as despite making fervent appeals by elected Sarpanchs and Panchs of the area and by Congress leaders from time to time for construction of protection walls around the bridge as there had been great soil erosion in earlier floods, but Government did not take any cue of this. “However in an eyewash, Governor Administration in 2016 invited tender for construction of Apron(Protection wall) and the work was allotted but construction could not be started which is a matter of serious investigation. He demanded LG administration to order thorough enquiry into the water as to why protection wall was delayed for three years until it collapsed completely in recent flood. He also demanded immediate start of construction of the bridge, terming it a strategic bridge which connects more than 28 villages including Sakinderpur, Samalpur, Kauska, Dablahr, Bandu Rakh and several roads upto RS Pura besides felicitates movement of BSF and CRPF to Shergarh.
