Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha officially stepped down from the Road Construction Department on Wednesday, but not before making a decisive move. In one of his last actions as minister, Sinha debarred SP Singla Constructions Pvt. Ltd, a contractor with alleged ties to influential leaders, from undertaking further projects. He also ordered strict action against an engineer who approved a payment to SP Singla Company despite an existing ban.
Speaking on the issue, Sinha alleged that there was a deliberate delay in handing over the Agwani Ghat bridge file, hinting at irregularities. “The file was not found for many days. Even CM Nitish Kumar had ordered action in this matter,” he said. Sinha also made it clear that SP Singla Constructions Pvt. Ltd. will not receive any further tenders until it completes the Agwani Ghat bridge in Bhagalpur.
When asked whether his actions against SP Singla led to his removal from the Road Construction Department, Sinha dismissed the suggestion outright. “No one has the guts to remove me,” he asserted. “As Deputy Chief Minister, I have to oversee every department. No one can overturn the orders I have given.”
An official from the Road Construction Department claimed that SP Singla Constructions Pvt. Ltd., primarily involved in bridge construction, was awarded the contract for the Agwani Ghat-Sultanganj Ganga Bridge in Bhagalpur. However, the project faced repeated failures, with the bridge collapsing three times during construction. Despite the structural failures, no action was taken against the contractor, the official said.
The most significant collapse occurred on June 4, 2023, when the bridge crumbled like a sand wall, yet SP Singla continued to operate without repercussions. Sources suggest that Sinha, who took charge of the department in January 2024, had been demanding the file related to the project for months. However, the department allegedly withheld the documents, and before they could reach him, he was reassigned to a different department.
Sinha’s last-minute decision to blacklist SP Singla and take action against officials involved in the payment process underscores the controversies surrounding Bihar’s infrastructure projects and raises questions about political influence in contract allocations.
