Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is seeing a “conspiracy” in back-to-back bridge collapse incidents in Bihar. “Why have bridges began to break down solely after the Lok Sabha elections?” he questioned as he spoke to reporters in Gaya.

“Why have been such incidents not going down 15 or 30 days earlier than? Why have bridges began to break down solely after the Lok Sabha elections? Why are they collapsing now? Is there any conspiracy to defame the state authorities?” the minister mentioned.

5 bridges – in Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani districts – have collapsed throughout the state within the final 9 days.

On Friday, an under-construction bridge collapsed in Bihar’s Madhubani area. The 75-meter bridge was being constructed by the Rural Works Division of the Bihar authorities since 2021.

The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) additionally mentioned that these concerned in “wrongdoings” can be penalised.

“The state and central governments are intently monitoring such incidents. These contractors or engineers concerned in wrongdoings will probably be penalised,” he mentioned.

Mr Manjhi additionally blamed “sub-standard materials utilized by the contractors” for the incidents: “It’s taking place due to the sub-standard materials being utilized by contractors. The state authorities is taking motion towards such contractors. The state authorities are probing the matter as nicely. I additionally request them to probe the conspiracy angle.”

The state authorities is receiving a number of flak from the opposition due to the frequent bridge collapses. Chief of the Opposition within the Bihar Meeting, Tejashwi Yadav, on Saturday mocked the Nitish Kumar authorities and mentioned, “As a result of double energy of the double-engine authorities in Bihar, solely 5 bridges have collapsed in simply 9 days.”

The Madhubani incident got here only a day after one other bridge fell in Kishanganj district.

The third incident of bridge collapse was within the Ghodasahan block of East Champaran on June 23.

On June 22, the bridge constructed on the canal connecting Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks in Siwan collapsed. Earlier, a bridge price Rs 12 crore on the Bakra river within the Sikti block of Araria district collapsed on June 18.