Madhya Pradesh government suspends 7 engineers over bridge with 90-degree turn in Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh government suspends 7 engineers over bridge with 90-degree turn in Bhopal

The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday suspended seven engineers including two chief engineers of the Public Works Department for the `faulty design' of the new Rail Over Bridge in Aishbagh area of Bhopal with an unusual 90-degree turn. 

Officials associated with the construction had argued that they had no other option but to build the bridge this way given the paucity of land and presence of a metro rail station nearby.(X/@SirKazamJeevi)

"I took cognizance of the serious negligence in the construction of Aishbagh ROB and ordered an inquiry. On the basis of the inquiry report, action has been taken against eight PWD engineers," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on X late in the evening. 

Seven engineers including two chief engineers were suspended with immediate effect while a departmental inquiry will be conducted against a retired superintendent engineer, he added. 

The construction agency and design consultant have been blacklisted, and a committee has been formed to make necessary improvements in the ROB, the chief minister said. 

"The ROB will be inaugurated only after improvements are made," he added. 

The newly built over-bridge became a subject of criticism and ridicule with local residents and netizens questioning its design and wondering how vehicles would negotiate the sharp 90-degree turn. 

The engineers against whom action was taken for the alleged faulty design were chief engineers Sanjay Khande and G P Verma, in-charge executive engineer Javed Shakeel, in-charge sub-divisional officer Ravi Shukla, sub-enginner Umashankar Mishra, assistant engineer Shanul Saxena, in-charge executive engineer Shabana Rajjaq, and retired superintendent engineer M P Singh, said PWD additional chief secretary Neeraj Mandloi. 

The government also blacklisted architect firm M/s Puneet Chaddha and design consultant M/s Dynamic Consultant, he said. 

Built at a cost of ₹18 crore, the ROB was built to improve the connectivity between Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar and the station area with New Bhopal, benefiting some three lakh people. 

Last week, the PWD formed a committee to find a solution in order to ensure safe movement of vehicles on the bridge. Officials associated with the construction had argued that they had no other option but to build the bridge this way given the paucity of land and presence of a metro rail station nearby. If a little extra land is made available, the 90-degree sharp turn can be converted into a curve, officials had said.