Jorhat, Assam: In a significant development, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has decided to replace the current contractor responsible for the construction of the Jorhat-Majuli bridge over the Brahmaputra River.
The decision comes after the project faced significant delays and work was halted since September this year.
A high-level meeting held in New Delhi with all stakeholders, including representatives from the Assam government, discussed the issues hindering the project’s progress. It was determined that the existing contractor’s performance was unsatisfactory, leading to the decision to initiate the process of selecting a new contractor on a priority basis.
The government has also decided to forfeit the performance guarantee of the outgoing contractor due to the missed deadlines.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier expressed his concerns about the delays and had written to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging for immediate intervention to expedite the project. The timely completion of the bridge is crucial for improving connectivity and economic development in the region, particularly for Majuli island.
The two-lane bridge, which was awarded in August 2021, has an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore.
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