Yogi directs action against all UP State Bridge Corporation officials

The three-member panel led by Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), RP Singh that probed the Varanasi flyover collapse, submitted its report to the government on Thursday, indicting seven Bridge Corporation officials for ignoring norms during construction. 

After this, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed action against all seven senior officials of UP State Bridge Corporation. 

The probe panel was set up by the CM to find out  the reasons after two girders of a under construction flyover at Varanasi came crashing on Tuesday claiming 18 lives and leaving several injured. 

Sources confirmed in Lucknow on Friday that the government was also considering initiating  legal proceeding against the indicted officials besides a department probe. A case of culpable homicide was earlier registered against UPSBC officials with Sigra police station by the Varanasi administration. 

The probe panel pointed out six major lapses in which led the accident and recommended strict disciplinary action against seven UPSBC officials including Managing Director Rajan Mittal, Chief Project Manager SC Tiwari, former Project Manager Genda Lal, Project Manager KR Sudan, Assistant Project Manager Rajendra Singh and Junior Project Managers Rajesh Pal and Lal Chand. 

The last four officials were already suspended after the incident on Tuesday while on Thursday, MD of the Corporation Rajan Mittal was removed from the post.

The committee found that drawings used in construction were not approved by competent officers of the department. The panel further pointed out that the beams laid between the columns were not tied with cross beams. 

The report further said that UP State Bridge Corporation Limited did not maintain record of the batch mix plant because of which the ratio of cement, sand and grit used to cast beams was not as per standards and was also not checked by competent officials at intervals. 

Moreover, the working unit at the spot involved in mixing the concrete did not have requisite check list.

The committee further said that after carrying out inspections, officers were not issuing remarks after inspection. 

The team found that the agency did not carry out any kind of barricading at the construction site and did not provide alternative route for traffic movement on the stretch. 

The CM directed officials to ensure that similar lapses did not recur in any construction work in the state.

Meanwhile, another committee set up by PWD was also probing technical lapses in the incident and will submit its report within a fortnight.