Company linked to Bhagalpur bridge collapse last year purchased electoral bonds

SP Singla Constructions Private Limited, the company associated with two bridge collapses in Bihar, is making headlines again. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India(ECI) on its website regarding the funds received by parties through electoral bonds, SP Singla Constructions Private Limited purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 75 lakhs on May 10, 2019.

Bhagalpur bridge collapsed twice

The under-construction bridge, which would have connected Bhagalpur and Khagaria in Bihar, collapsed twice – first on April 30, 2023, and then again on June 4, raising concerns about the quality of construction and project management.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed dissatisfaction with the work quality and project delays, stating, "It is not being constructed correctly, that’s why it is collapsing again and again. He said that the department would look into the matter and necessary action would be taken against the culprits. 

The completion of the bridge was scheduled for November 2019. However, the bridge faced a three-year delay due to these collapses, causing setbacks in its overall progress.

In August, SP Singla Constructions Private Limited pledged to rebuild the entire 3.16-kilometer-long bridge at an estimated cost of about Rs 1,710 crore, as stated in court proceedings. However, there has been no further update on any regulatory actions against the company.

JD(U)-BJP coalition in question?

The purchase of electoral bonds by the company in May 2019 remains under scrutiny, especially regarding the recipient of these bonds during an election period when the BJP was in power at the center and a JD(U)-BJP coalition was ruling in Patna.

On the other hand, the company's website, it has completed various bridge constructions across India, including the four-laning of Haridwar Bypass Package 1 in Uttarakhand and the construction of a new two-lane bridge across the Brahmaputra at Jogighopa in Assam.