"Largesse Of State...": Court's Strong Remarks On Gujarat Bridge Tragedy
NDTV
Morbi bridge collapse: "Why was tender not floated? Why weren't bids invited?" Chief Justice says to the Gujarat's top bureaucrat
The Gujarat High Court today sought direct answers and slammed the manner in which the contract was awarded for renovation of the bridge in Morbi that collapsed on October 30 killing over 130 people.
"Why was the tender for the repair work of a public bridge not floated? Why weren't bids invited?" the Chief Justice Aravind Kumar said to the Chief Secretary, the state's top bureaucrat, during the ongoing hearing that began just before noon.
The Morbi municipality had given the 15-year contract to Oreva Group, which is best known for the Ajanta brand of wall clocks.
"The municipality, which is a government body, has defaulted, which ultimately killed 135 people," the court said as a preliminary observation, and asked if the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963, was complied with.
