Bihar govt suspends engineers, moves to blacklist contractor after Rohtas ropeway collapse

The Bihar government on Tuesday said it has decided to suspend two engineers and has initiated proceedings to blacklist the contractor after a newly built ropeway collapsed during a trial run in Rohtas district last week.

Road Construction Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal said preliminary findings indicated lapses in monitoring and supervision by officials involved in the project.

“Proceedings to suspend the concerned project engineer and junior engineer of the BRPNNL (Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited) have been initiated. Besides, the department has also started the process of blacklisting the contractor,” he told reporters.

The incident occurred on December 26 when the ropeway connecting Rohtas block to Rohtasgarh Fort and Rohiteshwar Dham gave way during a trial run. A tower attached to the structure also collapsed.

While no casualties were reported, four trolleys used for the trial were damaged. Workers present at the site managed to escape unhurt, averting a major accident.

BRPNNL, which is executing the project, is an undertaking of the state Road Construction Department.

Jaiswal said an expert team from IIT Patna has been tasked with conducting a technical inquiry to examine the quality of materials used in the construction of the ropeway. “The inquiry will look into whether construction norms and quality standards were adhered to,” he said.

He added that rectification work is being carried out strictly in accordance with the terms of the agreement with the contractor.

The ropeway project, spanning 1,326 metres and estimated to cost Rs 13 crore, was scheduled to be completed by December 31 and was expected to become operational next month. The foundation stone for the project was laid on February 12, 2020.

The project was sanctioned by the state government with the objective of improving access for tourists and devotees to Rohtasgarh Fort and nearby temples located in the Kaimur hills, a popular destination in the region.

Officials said further action would be taken based on the findings of the technical and departmental inquiries.

With PTI inputs