Jadugoda villagers threaten to boycott Ghatsila by-election over delay in bridge construction

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Oct 16: Residents of Kulamara village in Matigoda Panchayat under Jadugoda police station, have expressed strong resentment over the long-pending construction of a bridge crucial for local connectivity. On Tuesday, villagers held a meeting to protest the delay and announced that they would boycott the upcoming Ghatsila Assembly by-election if the bridge was not constructed soon. In addition, they stopped the ongoing construction of a 10-kilometer road from Digri Morh to Bankai, demanding that work on the road would resume only after the bridge was built.

Villagers explained that the existing bridge dated back to the British era and was either submerged or washed away every monsoon. As a result, residents were forced to construct temporary wooden bridges every year to ensure the movement of schoolchildren, patients, and workers. During the rainy season, nearly ten villages remained completely cut off, creating severe difficulties for daily life and emergency services.

Former Panchayat Samiti member Ajit Bhumij stated that the foundation stone for the road, including several bridges, was laid years ago by MP Bidyut Baran Mahto and the late Minister Ramdas Soren. However, while the Kulamara bridge’s two pillars were erected, they had since become useless as they were submerged during heavy rains. Despite repeated submissions for the construction of a new, elevated bridge, no progress had been made.

Bhumij added that the current road project was sanctioned only after intense public protest, and once again, the villagers were being forced to resort to agitation. “When we asked the contractor about the bridge, he said the project revision was pending in Ranchi. Without the revision approval, construction could not begin. It is beyond his control,” he said.

Local villagers, including Bagun Purty, Vijay Singh, Mangal Purty, Durga Murmu, Diku Purty, Sandir Singh, Purno Karmakar and Sajit Singh, emphasized that the bridge was the only link for around ten nearby villages. They said it became impassable even after light rainfall and got completely washed away during heavy rains. Villagers rebuild temporary wooden structures at least thrice a year. At their request, Sai Construction, the firm responsible for the road, created a makeshift path with boulders to allow two-wheelers and light vehicles to cross.

The villagers made it clear that until a permanent bridge was constructed, they would not permit any further road work in the area and would boycott the by-election in protest. They also reminded officials that a memorandum regarding the bridge had been submitted months ago to the Jamshedpur Deputy Commissioner at Kharia Basti, but no concrete action had followed.

Responding to the issue, Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Executive Engineer of the Road Construction Department (REO), informed that a revised estimate for the Kulamara bridge had already been submitted to the Chief Engineer’s office. He added that a site inspection was recently carried out by the Chief Engineer’s team and further action would be initiated once the report was finalized.