Gandhi Setu : Patna-Hajipur-Bihar : the epitome of bad governance

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)

It was constructed by the firm:Gammon India Limited

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.

Gandhi Setu : Patna-Hajipur-Bihar : the epitome of bad governance

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Thursday, 28 May 2015

Facts on Gandhi Setu

Gandhi Setu: Deplorable Condition