BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday decided to disengage Panda Infra Projects Private Limited from the construction of Bomikhal flyover, a portion of which collapsed on Thursday killing one labourer. This was the second time the flyover collapsed in the last nine months, raising serious questions on the standard of construction work.
Secretary in Works Department Nalinikanta Pradhan told this paper that the construction company has been disengaged from the project with immediate effect. The State Government has taken the decision after giving the company enough opportunity as per rules to complete the project. He said further action against the company will be initiated after the report of the probe committee is received.Pradhan said steps will be taken to complete the flyover as early as possible by handing over the implementation of the project to a number of agencies.
“The State Government had allowed Panda Infra to go ahead with flyover construction after the first incident. But, the company did not bother to mend its ways because of which the flyover caved in again,” he said.One person was killed and 11 others were injured when the flyover collapsed for the first time on September 10 last year. The Commissionerate Police arrested owner of the company Pratap Kishore Panda, a day after the incident. He was sent to the Jharpada Special Jail here after a local court rejected his bail plea.