Gujarat Govt Orders Criminal Action Against Contractor Over Poor Bridge Construction Quality

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has initiated legal action against a contractor over serious quality deficiencies detected in the major bridge over the Karjan River on the Rajpipla–Ramgadh (Navagam) road in Narmada district.

Following the directions of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Roads and Buildings Department has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against M/s Royal Infra Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Surat, the company responsible for constructing the bridge. The FIR has been registered at Rajpipla Police Station.

The bridge, which is crucial for connectivity in and around Rajpipla and Ramgadh, was found to have serious construction-related defects, raising concerns about its safety for public use.

The Roads and Buildings Department had awarded the bridge construction contract to M/s Royal Infra Engineering Pvt. Ltd. during 2018–19, at a tender cost of ₹10.71 crore. The work commenced on September 15, 2018, and was physically completed on August 14, 2020.

During an inspection, officials noticed settlement in one of the bridge’s foundations. Following this discovery, the Quality Control Division was directed to conduct a comprehensive inspection and assessment of the entire structure.

The subsequent investigation revealed additional defects in other parts of the bridge. As the structure was found unsuitable and unsafe for vehicular traffic, authorities were compelled to suspend traffic movement over the bridge.

Taking serious note of the deficiencies, Chief Minister directed the department to initiate criminal proceedings against the contractor and its representatives under the applicable legal provisions and also ordered strict departmental action against the officials and employees found responsible for poor-quality construction and negligence in the discharge of their duties. Such action will be initiated under the Gujarat State Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1971. DeshGujarat