Assam: Uncertainty Looms Large Over Jorhat-Majuli Brahmaputra Bridge Spanning 8.25-km

GUWAHATI: Uncertainty is hovering over the bridge across the Brahmaputra connecting Jorhat and Majuli districts again. The construction work of the bridge has been put on hold since September 5, 2024. The works on this crucial bridge were put on hold several times earlier.

The work of this 8.25-km bridge, including the approach roads, was awarded to M/s UP State Bridge Construction Corporation Ltd., Lucknow. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ceremonially launched the construction of this bridge on November 29, 2021.

According to the agreement of the award of works, the bridge was scheduled to be completed in 48 months (four years). However, 33 months have already elapsed, but only around 32 percent of works have been done so far.

The people of Majuli raised their voice due to the slow progress of works earlier. After initial delays, the work on the project picked up pace to a certain extent. However, since last August, the work on the project has slowed down. The work has come to a grinding halt since September 5, 2024.

According to sources, M/s UP State Bridge Construction Corporation Ltd., which had won the award of the project, gave it to another construction company named BRC on subcontract. Now, some sort of conflict over payment between the two construction companies, M/s UP State Bridge Construction Corporation Ltd. and BRC, has its spillover effect on the construction of the bridge.

The conflict between them has come to such a point that BRC took away most of their machinery, materials, and manpower from the project site. 

The local journalists who visited the spot today found no workers.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the State PWD (NH) did smell a rat on the conflict between the two construction companies vis-à-vis the slow progress of the bridge work.

On Tuesday last, MoRTH chief engineer Aditya Prakash and state PWD (NH) chief engineer Devajit Das visited the project site and held a meeting with the representatives of UP State Bridge Construction Corporation Ltd. and asked them to sort out their problems within seven days and resume the project works at a fast pace.

The bridge was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The Chief Minister did say that he would go to Majuli through the new bridge in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly election. However, the ground situation of the project speaks otherwise.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) sanctioned Rs. 925.47 crore for the construction of the Majuli-Jorhat Bridge. The bridge will be a two-lane one.

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