Bhubaneswar: With a Supreme Court committee seeking a detailed report from the Odisha government regarding a recent road accident on Haladiapadar overbridge in Ganjam, the issue has triggered a political row in the state with leaders of major political parties making diverse claims.
While Congress leaders seeking to drag former minister Surjya Narayan Patro into a controversy, the late leader’s son Biplab Patra presenting a clarification on the issue amid allegations of structural deficiencies and design flaws in Haldiapadar overbridge in Berhampur City.
It may be noted that at least five people lost their lives several others sustained grievous injuries after being hit by a truck in Berhampur on January 31.
Dismissing allegations against his family and his late father as baseless, he sought to know whether ownership of land by a political family could influence the structural design of a bridge.
Stressing that the overbridge was built with the approval from the erstwhile state
government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Biplab sought to know as to how such approval was granted if there were design concerns.
Apparently targeting Congress MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena for his remarks on the flyover design, Biplab questioned whether other overbridges like the Kamapali flyover in Berhampur were also altered and if the upcoming Gate Bazaar overbridge might also face similar changes.
Meanwhile, Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena admitted that the bridge design had flaws since time of its construction. However, corrective steps and improvements would be made in future planning, he said.
“This is not today’s issue, the design of the over-bridge had flaws since the day it was built. Many lives have been lost needlessly. Everyone has condemned how the work was carried out to serve personal interests. Those who are speaking up today were not saying anything earlier, but it is necessary to speak out. I have raised my voice and complained many times,” he told reporters.
Stating that the deadly accident of January 31 on the ROB has opened everyone’s eyes, the Minister said that the flyover will definitely be re-designed to safeguard the interest of the people.
Amid widespread outrage over the recent mishap on the flyover, the Supreme Court Road Safety Committee (SCCoRS) has asked the state government to submit a report on the accident that took place in January. It sought a comprehensive report by March 5. The committee has also instructed the authorities to take necessary safety measures to prevent such accidents in the future.
This apart, the SC panel has asked the state government to submit a report outlining the proposed safety measures to the committee.