Gandhi Setu: disaster in waiting
INTRODUCTION: The Gandhi Bridge/Setu (“Setu”)
not only connects Patna with Hajipur, it connects Patna with North Bihar. In
simple terms it is the vein through which the north Bihar remains connected
with the capital city of Patna. Setu is in a vulnerable condition and the
condition is such that the distance of 5.5 Km which generally should take 15 to
20 Minutes for commuting by Motorists due to various factors as will be
discussed tomorrow takes an average time of 4 hours and at times according to
the statement of some witnesses as reported on ABP News, takes a maximum time of 24 hours. Besides as seen in the report in the video it
can be seen that the bridge is in such a deplorable condition that it actually
seems a death trap. Before fixing the responsibility for the deplorable
condition of the bridge. Some of the basic facts need to be clarified and we
shall deal with the same soon.
FACTS
The Setu was constructed in the year:Approved by the Central Government in 1969 and built within a duration of
10 years i.e. The construction began in the year:1972 Completed in the year: 1982
It was constructed using the method:cantilever segmental construction
method
Cost of Construction:Rs.
87,21,83,953
Cost of Maintenance:100Crores ( upto 2012).
Thirteen Crores more than the cost of Construction.
Revenue generated:140Crores ( upto 2012)
HOW STATE GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE:
REVENUE COLLECTION:
Though the bridge was constructed by the
National Government .The responsibility to collect the revenue was on the state
government of Bihar. The state government of Bihar handed over the toll
collection duties to the BRPNN. Ltd.The company was supposed to submit the
entire amount to the Central Government. BRPNN Ltd was running on loss till the
year 2007. But after the year 2007 the company started making profits. Due to
changes in revenue collection policies made by the State Government maximum
amount of funds thus collected started being diverted towards the collecting
firms and off records it may be said that one of the reasons for the profits of
BRPNN Ltd. Might be the diversion of these funds received from toll revenue.
TIFF BETWEEN CENTER AND STATE AND THE
FAULTY STANCE OF STATE:
The state has been collecting funds for the
repairs of the bridge. From this act of it It can be safely assumed that the
state it took the responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the bridge.
In a meeting held between the then Center minister C.P.Joshi and the current
C.M Nitish Kumar in the year 2012 the state of Bihar demanded and was granted
Rs. 60 crore for maintenance of the bridge and in the same meeting it was also
held that center would provide funds for a new parallel bridge while the state
would maintain the current Setu. By this act of state Government it is very
clear that the state government was indeed responsible for the maintenance of
the bridge and hence now cannot shrug off its responsibility of maintaining the
bridge.But the state attempted to do the same when the Minister of Bihar State
for Road construction made a statement in the month of September 2014 that the state
was not responsible for maintaining the National Highway. It is a proved fact
that the bridge is a National Highway but the state by its act of collecting
funds from center and continuing the repair works on the same is responsible
for the same. The NHAI was awarded the maintenance work of the setu in its hand
at a cost of 800 crores but the state of Bihar withdrew the work awarded to
NHAI and decided to do it on their own. This was either a bias towards center
or there was a malicious intention of corruption from the part of state.
BLAME GAME:
Mr. D.N. Prasad Chief Engineer currently
responsible for maintenance of the Setu states that no emphasis was given to
the maintenance of the setu since its institution upto the year 2002. Thus he
tries to shift the blame on the chief engineer before his tenure. The Bihar
state government is also blaming the Gammon India Limited for the delay in the
repair work of the bridge, quality of maintenance and has given a statement
regarding its blacklisting the company if by the month of June the repair work
allotted to it is not completed, while answering to an question raised in the
Bihar legislative assmbly. It however must be noted that this was the same
company that built the bridge and has built other notable structures. Hence
holding it solely responsible for the condition of the bridge would be totally
unfair and at the same time though not on the same portion the BRPNN.Ltd which
is a state managed public limited company. But it has not been subjected to any
deadline. However, the question then again arises whether the state government
for all these years was a sleeping beast??
CORRUPTION:
No charges of corruption have been proved.
But despite investing such a large amount of fund on maintenance of the bridge,
the scenario is getting worse day by day and this goes on to show that there
are definitely some financial discrepancies in the financial transactions in
regards to the maintenance of setu.
BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN 2015:
The state has commenced the building of a
parallel bridge from Patna to Bidupur from current setu with an intention to
reduce the traffic on current bridge.The estimated construction cost of the
bridge is Rs. 5000crore. The state has sought Rs.2000Crore and for another
Rs.3000 crore loan will be raised from Asian Development Bank. But with the
Bihar elections to be held this year, The center wants to build the parallel
bridge on their own expense citing examples of rampant corruption by the Nitish
Kumar Government and cost escalation issues. The state government might have
stopped the toll collection as it was not getting any revenue collected from
the toll on bridge but at the same time it was being held responsible for the
maintenance of the bridge. This caused a two way damage to the reputation of
State Government. As the public could only see the state government employees
collecting and maintaining the setu and held the state responsible for the
pathetic condition of the setu. It is true that the state maintains the setu
but for funds it has to rely on center or has to divert funds from other
sources. The RTI filed by Mr. Ajit Kumar shows that Rs. 100 crores have been
spent on the bridge. The bridge was constructed at an expense of Rs. 87 crore.
Thus if the maintenance cost is so high then the possibility of financial
discrepancy cannot be negated. But at the same time the state wants to keep its
image clean before the elections and the bridge has reached a condition where
it is almost beyond repair its safest bet would be to push the liability of
bridge to whom it actually belongs to i.e. the Center as the setu is a part of
a National Highway. The questions that the common man of Bihar needs to ask its
CM:
a. did he not know that the setu was the property of the National Government
when the funds from center were acquired for its maintenance?
b. When it was the responsibility of the Center to maintain the Setu, why was
the contract to repair the setu given to the the state owned company BRPNN.Ltd?
QUESTION OF LIVELIHOOD FOR SOME:
The toll booths were in existence right
from the date the bridge became functional in 1982 upto the year 2013. During
this duration an economy developed around these booths which consisted of
hawkers, fruit vendors. The state took no care either to ban or regularize this
economy and amid any regulation this economy prospered but now with the
shutting down of toll booths, these hawkers and vendors are facing a question
of livelihood as in the absence of toll booths no vehicles stop, no buyers and
hence no source of income for such people. It is an agreed fact that the state
was not responsible per se but since the state through its members had
knowledge of situation, Therefore it should have acted against or in favour of
such hawkers and vendors and regulated a policy to govern them. The state now
cannot deny its right to maintain them as such a loss to them is caused by the
state’s negligence.
HOW CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE:
MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
The Center Government is responsible for
maintaining the National Highways. For
the past many years the maintenance of the bridge is being carried on by the
BRNNP and the other contractors appointed by the state Government but it must be noted that the Setu is a part
of NH 19 and the sole responsibility to
maintain the National Highway is that of the Central Government. Hence it was a
flaw of the previous Center government to grant funds to the state for
maintenance and repair of the setu . The Center Government should never have permitted
the maintenance to be carried out by the
State Government. In the month of July 2014
Minister of Road Transport and Highways
Mr. Nitin Gadkari stated that the bridge would be repaired by NHAI. But NHAI in
the month of November stated that due to manpower crunch would not be able to
repair the setu. It must however be noted that NHAI is obligated to maintain
NH19.
TIFF BETWEEN STATE AND CENTRE AND FAULTY
STANCE
OF CENTRE:
The Center
is responsible for maintaining the National Highways. Here the Center wishes to construct
a new bridge and is ready to spend more than Rs.5 thousand crores for the Patna to Bidupur bridge but at
the same time the Center is not taking up the responsibility of maintaining the
Gandhi setu. As construed from the statement of Sushil Modi in the month of December
2014. It seems that the Center wants to paint a bad picture of state government
with the state legislative assembly election at hand in 2015.
REMEDIES
1.
Two reports have been prepared on the feasibility of
the Setu the earlier one being by a japanese firm JICA and the later one by
NHAI. The report by JICA states that the pillars are fine but the western flank
needs to be revamped. Whereas the Report of NHAI states that the setu needs to
be overhauled. It is better to go by the report of JICA as it is more feasible
as well as when the western flank is being revamped the traffic can use the one way as it is currently using.
Thus at one end the cost of building a new bridge can be saved.
2. The time when
the bridge was constructed there was no traffic of heavy vehicles like today.
Hence until the moment the bridge is completely modified to fulfill the needs
of current situation. The state must provide the facility of barges and the fee
must be charged for the same from the drivers of heavy vehicles for the sake of
this remedy heavy vehcle shall mean every vehicle which has six wheels or more.
3. The Center
should take up the responsibility of repairing the current Gandhi Setu in
phases and the authority to repair the same should be taken away from the state
government. This repair should be carried out from the funds which the Center
wants to allocate for the new bridge and the surplus could be used for
maintaining other National Highways.
4. An additional
facility of barges should be provided for ferrying non heavy vehicles across
the river Ganges as and when need arises for people conveying through non heavy
vehicles. A nominal fee may be charged for the same.
5. To keep the
people conveying through barges and Gandhi Setu at par. The toll which was
abolished in 2013 must be re implemented. The
reason for given for stopping the collection of toll was that heavy
traffic standing on bridge weakened the structure of Setu further. This can be
prevented by building the toll booth
before the beginning of the structure.
6. The state must
take up the construction of the parallel bridge. In the meanwhile no fund must
be granted to the state by the Center. For the construction of the bridge the
state must take the Rs. 3000crore loan from Asian Development Bank and the
remaining Rs. 2000crore may be collected by BRPNN Ltd. through issue of ownership
or debt securities.
7. As before
stated the toll booths must be placed before the setu and the vendors and
hawkers who did their business near the old booth must be identified and
license must be issued free of cost near the new toll booth as they have
acquired this right through acquiescence and a license fee must be charged when
a new license is granted to any new vendor or hawker. The license must be
granted to a limited number of such persons to avoid traffic congestion. A
priority must be given to disabled persons while granting such license.
8. The toll booth
must be operated by the state government employees but as before the income
should go to center as the repair of the setu will be the sole responsibility
of Center. The reason for the same being the state is in a better position to
offer employment to the locals who will be employed to operate these toll
booths. The remuneration to such employees will be paid by the center to the state
and the state will then disburse it among the employees so appointed. Such
employees will also govern issues with regards to illegal vendors and hawkers
selling their commodities.
9. The emergency
vehicles like ambulance and fire brigade vehicles when on duty must not be held
in queue of toll booths and no toll must be charged from them. Besides this
when any person has presented a photocopy of hall ticket of any examination to
be conducted two days prior to any such examination. The photocopy shall be stamped
after collecting the toll in advance and on the date of examination on showing
of such stamped photocopy he shall be exempted from being in queue as well as
no toll should be levied again. This rule will only be applicable while going
to the examination and while returning he may use the barge or be considered a
person with no benefits with regards to toll booth. Such person while going to
attend the examination via setu shall not use a public mode of transport.
10.
The state may provide motorcycles with driver for the
transport of single person across the setu. A fee must be charged for such
rides which shall be a source of revenue to the state. For the purpose of these
remedies such motorcycles shall not be considered a mode of public transport.
Conclusion:
The actual issue with regards to repairing Setu has
never been lack of funds or technicalities but the loss of revenue to the state
as the state is collecting the toll. However with the stopping of toll
collection in 2013 this is no more a relevant issue. The only issue that
remains is who will gain political mileage from this Setu. The aspirational
loss of the post of PM is not going down too well with the current CM and
somewhere down the line a fear of losing his last bastion i.e. the post of CM
has crept in and at the same time the BJP finds the current situation conducive
to make itself a powerful party in Bihar. Leaving aside their personal
insecurities and hunger for power if both the Center and State decide to work
together and implement the above mentioned remedies then surely Mahatma Gandhi
Setu can be restored to its former grandeur.