Vigilance Begins Probe Into Poor Quality Flyover Work At Jatni By Panda Infra

Khurda/Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the flyover mishap at Bomikhal in Odisha capital, resulting in the death of a labourer, the State Vigilance has begun probe into the poor quality flyover work at Jatni town in Khurda district by the same company, Panda Infra Pvt Ltd.

This follows an allegation by Jatni Traders’ Association against the construction company.

Talking to the media on Tuesday, Vigilance DSP Sisir Kumar Bhoi said he had a meeting with the members of the traders’ association on the issue.

“The association members handed over hard disks of footage retrieved from the CCTV cameras installed at some trading establishments near the under-construction flyover. These will be send to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) in Bhubaneswar for examination,” he said.

Bhoi further said a case would be registered against the company and the government officials and engineers if evidence of poor quality work is found in the CCTV footage.

Welcoming the Vigilance probe, president of the Jatni Traders’ Association Sudarshan Sundaray claimed that the company had faulted in the piling of the flyover.

Notably, the Association also accused the company of using substandard equipment in the construction of the flyover.

Meanwhile, the BJP activists began a relay hunger strike under the flyover at Bomikhal in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday demanding immediate arrest of the Works minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik and secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan for showing undue favour to the Panda Infra and allowing it to go ahead with the construction work of the flyover despite the first incident in which a portion of the flyover had collapsed in September last year, leading to the death of a local businessman.

“We will continue the relay hunger strike till the minister and secretary concerned are not arrested,” said BJD Khurda district president Harekrushna Khuntia.

He further informed that his party has lodged a complaint against the Works minister and the secretary at Laxmisagar police station.

Contacted, the Works minister said he will submit a detailed report on the incident to the state government on Wednesday.

Commissionerate Police have registered a case against the Panda Infra owner and nine others, including Santosh Panda, Sujata Panda, executive engineer Pramod Nayak, assistant executive engineer Dilip Sahu, project manager Neeraj Sharma, Biranchi Narayan Jena and Bipul Chakraborty, in connection with the collapse of a portion of the flyover on May 3.

The investigation is underway under the direct supervision of Additional Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Singh.

It may be recalled that a labourer was killed and another seriously injured when a portion of the flyover in Bomikhal area collapsed on the night of May 3.

A day after the incident, the commissionerate police arrested the Panda Infra owner Pratap Kishore Panda who was sent to Jharpada Special Jail after the SDJM court in Bhubaneswar rejected his bail petition.