BHADRAK: For the residents of 14 panchayats under Chandabali block of Bhadrak district, the under-construction Bansada bridge is an eyesore. Four years have passed since construction of the 120-metre-long bridge began in Bansada but only 30 per cent work has been completed so far.
The bridge is aimed at linking the panchayats near Dhamra to Chandbali. Crossing river Baitarani, which separates Dhamra and Chandbali at Bansada, is an uphill task for the locals. The only means of communication for them is country boats.
First tender for the bridge was called in 2003 and a firm, Rajlaxmi Construction was the only applicant. However, the tender had to be cancelled as the firm demanded 172 per cent more than the estimated cost of `4.4 crore. The second and third tender at an increased cost of `5.79 crore also did not elicit any result. During this period too, Rajlaxmi Construction was the only bidder and had sought 100 per cent hike in cost.
In June 2014, the work was assigned to SP Singla Construction Company of Mumbai at project cost of `19.98 crore and the company was given a deadline to finish the work by June 2016. By June last year, only foundation of the bridge was laid and since then no progress has been made. The R&B engineers attributed the delay to the frequent high tidal waves in the river and an objection on the design of the bridge put forward by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in May 2015.