No bridge in this Chatra village since Independence

Chatra: Even after four years of starting the construction work of a bridge over the rain-fed Dhoi river here, the structure is lying incomplete, affecting thousands of nearby residents who have been demanding the bridge since Independence for an improvement in their lives.
Once complete, the bridge at Lipta village of Pratappur block will connect villages having around 20,000 people with the nearest semi-urban localities, Sildaha, and neighbouring Bihar.
The foundation for the bridge was laid in 2019 under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana with a completion target year of 2020 and so far, an estimated investment of Rs 4 crores has been made.
The contract company, M/s Sahay Constructions, is yet to build the approach roads and the structure is only half complete, raising questions about its sincerity in completing the bridge.
An aggrieved villager, Nageshwar Mahto, said, “During monsoons, children of our areas avoid going to school because of the swollen river. Several villages here turn into islands, disconnecting them from the block and district headquarters.”
Many others added that once the bridge is complete, it will serve as a lifeline and give them many livelihood opportunities.
Squarely blaming the firm for the delay, the executive engineer of the regional works department, Shahnawaz Khan, said, “It is the fault of the contractor for not completing the work within the deadline. We have sent reminders in this regard so that work is completed soon. If the contractor failed to follow the directives, this company will be blacklisted.”
Notably, miscreants posing as extremist outfits have also delayed the pace of work. On February 18, 2020, a group which identified itself as an extremist outfit by the name Bhartiya Liberation Organisation tried to extort Rs 3 lakhs from the contractor with a diktat that the work should be stopped till the extortion amount is paid. Police acted immediately soon after getting the information and identified it as a criminal gang.
Meanwhile, the bridge, besides connecting the residents with the outside world, will also help in stopping the menace of criminals and extremists as the administration will be able to rush in men and machines in case of any threat from these groups.