Kota (Raj): The National Highway
Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday said it has not found Gammon
India and Hyundai Engineering "guilty" in the collapse of the
bridge over the Chambal river here.
NHAI Chairman Brijeshawar Singh told reporters at the
rescue operations site, "We have not found Gammon India and
Hyundai guilty in the Chambal bridge collapse."
On the issue of blacklisting the companies he said
that "We must follow a procedure based on proofs to
blacklist."
Singh said that there had been "some technical reason"
behind the collapse which would come out only after the
"debris is removed" and investigation completed.
To get to the actual reason for the incident, the iron
ropes recovered from the debris and the quality of iron used
would be thoroughly probed, he said.
The Chairman said two NHAI officials had been booked
under section 304 (culpable homicide) and 308 (Attempt to
commit culpable homicide) of IPC and added "we are also
investigating the role of our officials".
A four-member committee with two independent members
set-up by the authority will go into the collapse.
Terming the collapse a "painful" event in the track
record of the authority, the chairman said it could not be
compared to the Delhi Metro overhead bridge collapse which was
of a different nature.
Singh said that 33 per cent of the payment has been made
to the construction companies and 40 per cent of the work on
the bridge had been completed before it collapsed.
He added that "the project would now be delayed for 9 to
12 months" and is expected to be completed by December 2011.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 09:08