Who was responsible for the renovation of Gujarat’s Morbi bridge?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (1 November) visited the site in Gujarat’s Morbi where at least 135 people died after a 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed.

Known as Jhoolta Pul, the bridge built on the Machchhu river had caved in on Sunday evening, four days after it was reopened following closure for over seven months for repair and renovation work.

The blame game has begun about who is responsible for the tragedy. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government, which has come under fire, has distanced itself from any role in the renovation of the 230-metre-long bridge.

#WATCH | PM Modi along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel visits the cable bridge collapse site in Morbi, Gujarat

135 people lost their lives in the tragic incident pic.twitter.com/pXJhV7aqyi

— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022

The Opposition, on the other hand, has hit out at the ruling dispensation over one of the country’s worst accidents in years.

Who was responsible for the renovation of the suspension bridge in Morbi? What is the Gujarat government saying? How has the Opposition reacted to the tragedy? We explain.

Bridge renovated by Oreva group

Ahmedabad-based Oreva group was responsible for the renovation and repair of the colonial-era suspension cable bridge in Morbi, as per The Quint.

The company, known as a clockmaker, had won the tender for repair and maintenance in June 2020.

A 15-year maintenance contract was signed between Morbi Municipal Corporation and Ajanta Manufacturing Private Limited, the parent company of Oreva Group, in March 2022 that was valid till 2037, reports India Today.

As per the pact, the company was required to invest eight to 12 months into maintenance work. However, the group violated these terms and reopened the bridge within seven months of closing allegedly without informing the Morbi civic body, reports India Today. 

The Gujarat authorities have also claimed Oreva did not have permission to open the bridge to the public.

Sandipsinh Zala, chief officer of the Morbi Municipal Corporation, told NDTV, “It was a government tender. Oreva group was supposed to give its renovation details and get a quality check before opening the bridge. But it did not do so. The government was not aware of this.”

The municipality had to issue a fitness certificate before the renovated bridge was to reopen.

However, Zala told The Quint that the “Oreva group did not procure a fitness certificate” before opening the 19th-century pedestrian bridge to the public.

The ‘repaired’ bridge was reportedly inaugurated by Jaysukhbhai Patel, managing director of the Oreva Group, on 26 October.

“The raw material used for repairing the bridge can only be produced by a specialised company. Nothing is happening to this bridge for at least eight to 10 years,” he had said during the inauguration, as per The Quint.

The chief officer also claimed that the civic body only got to know that the bridge was operational on 29 October. “This is a huge municipality. We cannot be in the know of everything that happens here,” he told The Quint.

As per The Quint, the FIR, based on a complaint filed by Morbi Police inspector Prakashbhai Dekavadiya, does not mention the Oreva Group. However, two managers of the company, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards have been arrested so far in the case.

ALSO READ: Explained: Why the recently renovated Morbi Bridge collapsed

Gujarat government shirks responsibility

The Bhupendra Patel-led Gujarat government has denied any role in the renovation of the bridge.

“Renovation and opening of the bridge were done by the Morbi administration. Gujarat government didn’t have any role in it, direct or indirect. The old bridge was small and made for private use, but was opened to the public for tourism,”, former Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Oreva is an old company for repairing watches but only Morbi municipality knows on the basis of which qualification, it handed over the work of bridge renovation,” he added.

The senior BJP leader assured that appropriate action would be taken against the culprits.

Moreover, a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the bridge collapse.

Opposition attacks BJP

The Opposition has trained guns at the Gujarat government after owners and key executives of Oreva disappeared from public gaze following the tragedy. Locals told NDTV that Jaysukhbhai Patel has not been seen since the incident, while the company’s farmhouse also lies abandoned.

The Opposition has alleged the government is trying to make a scapegoat of lower-level people while shielding the top management, as per NDTV.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called the bridge collapse in Morbi a result of “massive corruption”.

As per Indian Express, the Aam Aadmi Party convenor asked, “The Morbi bridge collapse was a result of massive corruption and I pray for the victims. Why was a watchmaking company which had no experience of bridge construction allowed to do so?”

The Opposition parties have also slammed the BJP over painting and repairing work carried out at a 300-bed government hospital in Morbi ahead of the prime minister’s visit today.

Congress took to Twitter to share pictures of overnight repair work going on inside the Morbi hospital, which showed a fresh coat of paint, new tiles on the walls, and minor construction work being done inside the facility.

The Congress claimed the arrangements were made for Modi’s “photo op” at the hospital.

“They are not ashamed. So many people died, and they are preparing for an event,” the Congress tweeted.

त्रासदी का इवेंट

कल PM मोदी मोरबी के सिविल अस्पताल जाएंगे। उससे पहले वहां रंगाई-पुताई का काम चल रहा है। चमचमाती टाइल्स लगाई जा रही हैं।

PM मोदी की तस्वीर में कोई कमी न रहे, इसका सारा प्रबंध हो रहा है।

इन्हें शर्म नहीं आती! इतने लोग मर गए और ये इवेंटबाजी में लगे हैं। pic.twitter.com/MHYAUsfaoC

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 31, 2022

Referring to the Morbi incident, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Monday claimed that Gujarat has suffered “the consequences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s series of sins”. The BJP reacted sharply to the statement.

CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury has called for accountability in the incident. “Deepest condolences to families of those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. The injured must receive medical treatment on top priority. Lives must be saved. Then, accountability must be fixed. The Gujarat government is answerable,” he wrote in a tweet.

With inputs from agencies

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