Nitish Kumar’s Remarks Stir Controversy During JP Ganga Pathway Inauguration
Patna, 10th July 2024: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the third phase of the JP Ganga Pathway, also known as Patna’s Marine Drive, today (July 10). This extension adds a 4.5 km stretch from Digha to Patna Ghat, complementing the existing 12.5 km stretch from Digha to Gaighat. The JP Ganga Pathway aims to ease traffic congestion on the narrow Ashok Rajpath, where road widening is impractical due to extensive construction on both sides.
During the event, the CM’s reaction drew attention when he appeared visibly upset on stage and reportedly stood up to address an engineer, saying, “If you want… we will touch your feet…”
The context of this incident is significant amidst recent bridge collapses across Bihar, which have sparked a political controversy. While no casualties occurred, over a dozen bridges and causeways collapsed in various districts, leading to the suspension of 15 engineers by the Bihar government. This action followed a probe that highlighted negligence and inadequate monitoring by the engineers as primary factors contributing to these incidents.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department (WRD), Chaitanya Prasad, affirmed that the suspension was based on findings indicating negligence and ineffective supervision, underscoring the need for stricter oversight to prevent future infrastructure failures in the state.
