Collapse of the suspension bridge, over a century previous, on October 30 killed over 130 individuals. (File)
Ahmedabad:
The Gujarat Excessive Court docket at the moment sought direct solutions and slammed the style wherein the contract was awarded for renovation of the bridge in Morbi that collapsed on October 30 killing over 130 individuals.
“Why was the tender for the restore work of a public bridge not floated? Why weren’t bids invited?” the Chief Justice Aravind Kumar mentioned to the Chief Secretary, the state’s high bureaucrat, in the course of the ongoing listening to that started simply earlier than midday.
The Morbi municipality had given the 15-year contract to Oreva Group, which is finest identified for the Ajanta model of wall clocks.
“The municipality, which is a authorities physique, has defaulted, which finally killed 135 individuals,” the court docket mentioned as a preliminary statement, and requested if the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963, was complied with.
“How was an settlement for such an necessary work accomplished in only one and a half pages?” the Chief Justice mentioned.
“Was the largesse of the state given to Ajanta firm with none tender being floated?” the court docket additional noticed.
It pointedly requested for the idea on which the bridge was being operated by the corporate after June 2017 “even when [the contract signed in 2008] was not renewed after 2017”.
The court docket had taken notice of the tragedy by itself and sought replies from six departments. Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J Shastri are listening to the matter.
Thus far, just some employees of the contracted firm have been arrested, whereas the highest administration, which signed the Rs 7-crore pact, has not confronted motion, nor have any officers been held accountable for the 150-year-old bridge having been reopened forward of the renovation schedule.
The court docket additionally requested for information of the contract from the primary day to be submitted in a sealed envelope.
The federal government has submitted that it labored at lightning velocity and saved many lives. “9 individuals have been arrested, and if anyone else is discovered to be responsible, we’ll positively ebook them,” a authorities lawyer mentioned.