Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's boat collides with JP Setu pillar during ghat inspection, all safe

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar had a close shave on Saturday when his steamer boat collided with one of the pillars of JP Setu while he was inspecting Chhath ghats situated on the banks of the Ganga here.
All onboard the steamer boat, including the CM, escaped unhurt. They were immediately shifted to another steamer boat for inspection of the Chhath ghats.
Accompanied by the state's water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha and many senior officials, Nitish boarded the steamer boat at Nasriganj in Danapur area and began inspection of the Chhath ghats on the banks of the Ganga.
"As the steamer boat was heading towards Patna City area, it collided with one of the pillars of the Digha-Sonepur JP Setu due to the negligence of the helmsman. The CM was busy giving instructions to senior officials when the boat collided with the pillar. The sudden collision gave a big jerk to all the people on board," one of the senior administrative officers on board the boat told TOI.
Immediately after the collision, the security personnel who were moving on small boats alongside the steamer boat, encircled the CM's boat and safely shifted him and other senior officers to an accompanying steamer boat.
Patna district administration, however, stated a different story behind the shifting of the CM from one steamer boat to another. "The CM inspected Chhath ghats through a steamer boat of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). During the inspection, the boat, due to some technical snag, gave a minor jerk near Gandhi Ghat and it stopped working. After that, the rest of inspection was done through another steamer boat," Patna district public relations officer Lokesh Kumar Jha said in a written statement.
During the inspection, the CM asked the officials to ensure proper cleanliness, sanitation and security at all the Chhath ghats.
Prominent among those who accompanied Nitish during the inspection were principal secretary to the CM Deepak Kumar, chief secretary Amir Subhani, additional chief secretary (road construction and health) Pratyaya Amrit, principal secretary (UDHD) Anand Kishore and water resources secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.