Patna, (Bihar Times): A day after the inspection by the
chief minister the Patna police arrested Gabudan
Kumar, a petty sub-contractor, apparently engaged by
the National Building Construction Corporation, the
agency entrusted with the responsibility of
constructing drainage in Kankarbagh. The deadline of
this project is June 10. A case has also been lodged
against him and two other contractors, Pankaj Kumar
and Navin Kumar.
Following Nitish Kumar’s inspection on Thursday
picture is getting clearer. It is not so simple as it
is being made out. Local people are not only pointing
accusing fingers towards the NBCC, but questioning the
indifference of the urban development minister, the
local MLA and the municipal corporation officials. How
is that they were not aware of the poor quality of
material being used in the construction going on in
the heart of the state capital and that too when the
flying squad had inspected some of the sites? they
asked.
And if the version of the SSP, Amit Kumar, is to be
believed one of the allegations is that Gabudan Kumar,
Pankaj Kumar and Naveen Kumar, the third
sub-contractors, have threatened the two main
contractors of the NBCC and forcibly took work. “It is
extortion though we have not received any complaint.
We will examine the matter in depth as the victim in
this case is also the beneficiary. After all the
contractors have no legal rights to sub-let the
contracts to petty contractors. The role of the NBCC
staff will also be examined,” the SSP told media.
However, the NBCC chief, J Radhakrishnan, told media
that he was unaware of sub-letting of the work by the
contractors hired by the Corporation. Clarifying
further on the use of material he said that a bad
quality brick was taken out from the lot. He also
blamed the Patna Municipal Corporation for not
providing map on time.
There is no dearth of people in the establishment who
would like to water down the whole drainage
construction drama as some big fish may too be
involved in it. But the people are wary whether the
deadline of June 10 would actually be met or not.
