Nearly six months after a colonial era suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi town leaving 135 people dead on October 30, the State Government on Tuesday eventually superseded the BJP-ruled town’s municipality after persistent strictures by the Gujarat High Court.
The foot overbridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi town in Saurashtra region was maintained and operated by Oreva Group under an agreement signed with the municipality.
Showcase issued to 52 member municipality
Even as the State Government was dilly-dallying criminal action against Morbi Municipality’s Chief Officer Sandeep Jhala who signed the contract with Oreva and merely suspended him, the high court took suo motu action December last and asked why the municipality was not superseded for such negligence.
Subsequently on January 18, 2023, the Gujarat Government issued a show-cause notice to the 52-member municipality, asking why it should not be dissolved for failing to carry out its essential duties. All 52 councilors of the civic body represent the ruling BJP in Gujarat.
No action to take over the bridge
According to the government, the Oreva Group had written several letters to the municipality between 2018 and 2020 expressing fears of a serious mishap given the dilapidated condition of the century-old bridge. The civic body did not pay attention to the warnings, according to the show-cause notice.
Lapses in maintenance and repairs of the bridge
The municipality also did not take any concrete action to take over the bridge from the company in 2017 after the completion of the contract, it said. The notice took note of the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the Oreva Group committed several lapses in repair, maintenance and operation of the bridge.
However, the municipality had pleaded innocence claiming that it never gave approval to hand over the bridge to Oreva Group. In fact, 41 of its 52 councillors submitted a separate reply to the show-cause notice claiming that the majority of them were not even aware of the agreement under which the bridge was handed over to Oreva Group and heaped the blame on the chief officer for unilaterally signing the agreement with the private firm.
