BJP questions timing of Naveen letter to Gadkari for bridge over Brahmani

By Nalini Sahu

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday questioned the timing of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari for construction of the second bridge over Brahmani river near steel city Rourkela to ease pressure on the first narrow bridge.

BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said, – despite knowing that the Union government was going to complete the tender process by June this year for the second bridge, – the chief minister on Thursday deliberately shot a letter to Mr Gadkari with a motive to claim credit for the entire project.

“The previous UPA Government had taken a decision to construct the bridge over Brahmani on Build, Operate, Own and Transport (BOOT) basis. After Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram met Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, the Modi government in December 2016 decided to build the bridge on its own fund. Besides, in place of the state government’s decision to make it four-lane bridge, it decided to make it a six-lane one,” said Mr Mohapatra.

Stating that the tender process for the bridge had begun from January this year and would be completed by June 5 next, – completion of the tendering process with such a brief period for a national project was a record itself.

“Fully knowing that the entire process is going to be completed in the next few days, Naveen has resorted to this letter writing drama to claim credit for the project,” said Mr Mohapatra.

On Thursday, the Odisha chief minister shot a letter to Union transport minister Mr Gadkari requesting him to initiate steps for another bridge on river Brahmani near Panposh in Rourkela soon for smooth vehicular communication.

“I would request you to intervene in the matter urgently and direct the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for taking immediate action towards construction of the 2nd bridge over river Brahmani near Panposh on the National Highway 143 so as to alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing old and weak bridge, in the larger public interest,”Mr Patnaik stated in his letter.