Bhagalpur, Bihar: There was a violent fight at the Bhagalpur district collectorate on Wednesday regarding the Bhagalpur Hansdiha road project. The fight began with a verbal dispute between Sadar DCLR Anis Kumar and NH Executive Engineer Brijnandan Kumar regarding the division and spending of the granted land acquisition payment. The issue reached such an extreme that the DM spent a large portion of his time needing to summon law enforcement. And, resulted in the engineer being escorted to the station and held there for four hours.
The project’s core problems stem from the lack of active land acquisition processes, which delay work. There was a contract given by MORTH to commence work on the NH-133E section for the road from Aliganj bypass to Kharhara turn in September 2023. Now, because of missing boundaries for the land acquisition. The 22nd extension was announced for the deadline that was set well before these issues arose.
Rs 105 Crore Compensation (Bhagalpur Hansdiha Road)
Tensions flared at the collectorate office in Bhagalpur over the NH-133E four-lane road expansion project that is a part of the Bhagalpur district. Sadar DCLR and NH Executive Engineer Brijnandan Kumar separately clashed on various issues regarding the central government budget split. So, where Bihar was refunded 105 crore, 76 going to Bhagalpur, and the remaining to Banka. He was accusing MORTH of compensating him on two different grounds.
The MORTH regional office directed to rethink the compensation figure. Brutal attitude from the DCLR sparked a big debate. The overseer found himself tangled in disagreements, which resulted in an executive intervention. Reports indicate he was brought into incarceration while enraged. MORTH is forcing them onto a schedule, claiming deadlines are missing. This construction is marked in the contract, first issued September twenty twenty-three. The tender for it is currently circulating for 22 months un-tendered, waiting for land to be freed up for the project.
DM Intervenes to Solve the Matter
The Bhagalpur collectorate was embroiled in a considerable dispute concerning the NH-133E four-lane road project. Anis Kumar, the Sadar DCLR, conflicted with NH Executive Engineer Brijnandan Kumar regarding partitioning land. The compensation of Rs 105 crore, out of which Rs 76 crore was for Bhagalpur and the rest for Banka. The Engineer was seeking justification, alleging corruption, which led to all the commotion. Even though DM attempted to resolve the situation, feeling the need to inject order, the engineer was exceedingly obstinate. This predicament compelled the DM to contact law enforcement at 5:30 PM.
Afterward, the Engineer was escorted for a medical evaluation and thereafter to the local police precinct. So many people rallied to the engineer’s aid, including NH authorities and the Chief Engineer. Around 9:30 PM, following the submission of an application from the engineer’s driver, the engineer was set free. In the wake of these events, the engineer was ill with chest pain, was subsequently transported to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. He received treatment and was dismissed.
Important Information from Other Sources (Bhagalpur Hansdiha Road Project)
According to the reports, the Bhagalpur Hansdiha Road project issue arose from the increased monthly scrutiny from the Chief Secretary and the Road Construction Department. Yesterday, the DM conducted a virtual review and previously gave one of his deputies, the Executive Engineer, some tasks that were not fulfilled. The engineer’s lack of responsiveness to questions posed angered the DM, who decided to take the law into his own hands. The engineer eventually came forward requesting medical leave, which was subsequently declined for lack of specified days. Silence has emerged from both the DCLR and the engineer, while the DM shifted to a daily check-in on the progress of the road projects. The situation captures the extent to which bureaucratic tensions undermine important public initiatives.
