Patna

Bihar Road Construction minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal on Tuesday said the state government has decided to suspend two engineers and initiated the process of blacklisting the contractor in connection with the recent incident of the collapse of a newly built ropeway during trial in Rohtas district.

A major accident was averted on December 26 when a newly constructed ropeway collapsed in Rohtas district during trial. No casualties were reported in the incident. The incident occurred when the ropeway from Rohtas block to Rohtasgarh Fort and Rohiteshwar Dham gave way along with an attached tower. Four trolleys used during the trial were damaged, but workers present at the site managed to protect themselves.

Talking to reporters, Jaiswal said, "Preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident took place due to lack of monitoring and supervision by the officials. Proceedings to suspend the concerned project engineer and junior engineer of the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) have been initiated. Besides, the department has also initiated the process of blacklisting the concerned contractor".

The BRPNNL is an undertaking of the state Road Construction department.

An inquiry is also being conducted by experts of the Patna IIT to examine the quality of the material used in the construction of the ropeway, which was scheduled to start from next month, said the minister.

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The rectification of the work is being carried out strictly as per the terms of the agreement, he said.

The ropeway project was scheduled to be completed by December 31. The foundation stone of the 1,326 metre-long ropeway project, estimated to cost Rs 13 crore, was laid on February 12, 2020. The project was sanctioned by the state government to provide easier access for tourists and devotees to Rohtasgarh Fort and nearby temples in the Kaimur hills.