Inaugurated 40 days ago, cracks in Surat bridge after rain; AAP slams govt
On Wednesday afternoon, some passersby saw cracks on the bridge approach road towards Variyav. Visuals were also shared on social media.
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AAP leaders Dharmesh Bhanderi and Dinesh Kachhadiya examine one of the cracks in the Surat bridge Wednesday. (Express Photo) Around 40 days after the virtual inauguration by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, cracks in the newly built Variyav Bridge on Surat’s Tapi River Wednesday prompted a sharp attack from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the state government. The bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 118 crore. The damage has been reported at a time when Surat and other parts of the state are receiving heavy showers in monsoon.
In a video, Gujarat AAP president Isudan Gadhvi accused the ruling BJP of corruption. “In the last one-and-half months, similar cases of damage have been reported for five to six bridges in Gujarat. We want a detailed probe,” he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier said that corruption will not be tolerated and those involved in such acts will not be left unpunished. I request the Prime Minister that corruption is gheroing Gujarat in all directions and that CBI or Enforcement Directorate should be asked to investigate. In the Morbi bridge tragedy, over 135 people died but a CBI probe was not ordered,” Gadhvi further said, mentioning the bridge collapse last year.
AAP councillor Dharmesh Bhanderi, who is also the Leader of Opposition (LoP) at the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), on Wednesday evening wrote a letter to the Chief Minister and demanded a probe by a retired High Court judge. The contractor and agencies involved in the construction of bridges should be blacklisted and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be formed under the leadership of a retired judge, he said.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Bhanderi said, “The bridge was built at the cost of Rs 118.42 crore, and it was inaugurated by CM Bhupendra Patel. This is the best example of corruption. In the first rain spell, cracks emerged.” He also alleged that contractors and builders close to BJP leaders are given such contracts in the city.
The bridge connects Variyav and Ved villages in Surat. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister on May 17. This is the 120th bridge in the city. More than eight lakh citizens of Ichhapore, Hazira, Chhaprabhata, and Variyav are meant to be served with the bridge. The one-and-a-half km long bridge has four lanes.
On Wednesday afternoon, some passersby saw cracks on the bridge approach road towards Variyav. Visuals were also shared on social media.
Later, Bhanderi, along with former councillor Dinesh Kachhadiya and others, reached the spot. The Bridge cell staff of the SMC, along with Katargam zone officials, were also at the site.
An SMC official on conditions of anonymity said, “The water gathering in the approach area towards Variyav might have caused the damage.”
The Indian Express tried to contact SMC Commissioner Shalini Agrawal for a response on the matter but calls went unanswered.
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