Tejashwi Yadav Slams Bihar Govt Over Multiple Bridge Collapses, Alleges Corruption

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized the Nitish Kumar government, accusing it of corruption and crime following the collapse of 10 bridges in Bihar over 15 days. He attributed the incidents to inefficiency and substandard construction materials, vowing not to let the current administration return to power.

The infrastructural integrity of Bihar has come under severe scrutiny as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a stinging rebuke against the Nitish Kumar-led government on Friday. Yadav accused the administration of being entrenched in 'corruption and crime' following the alarming collapse of 10 bridges within the past 15 days, raising pressing concerns about the state's infrastructure maintenance.

One of the latest incidents occurred in Bihar's Saran district on Thursday, marking the 10th bridge collapse in a little over a fortnight. 'Since the day Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister, minus the 18 months he wasn't in power, the Rural Works Department has largely remained under JD(U),' Yadav noted. He asserted that this ministry, along with the state, has been mired in corruption, with frequent criminal occurrences. 'This is an amazing game of double engine; one engine is engaged in corruption while the other in crime,' he told reporters.

Yadav further criticized the administration's handling of unemployment, poverty, and inflation, holding the JD(U) and its allies accountable for the bridge collapses. 'Those people who have increased unemployment, poverty, inflation, those people in whose tenure the bridges collapsed, we will not let them return to power,' he vowed. In June, five significant bridge failures were reported in districts including Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani. Notably, on June 22, a 40-45-year-old bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan fell. Just a day later, a bridge under construction in East Champaran, costing around Rs 1.5 crore, collapsed, with locals attributing it to substandard materials. On June 18, a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra River in Pararia village of Araria district also gave way.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)