Tit for tat politics over bridge collapse in Kerala

The collapse of an under-construction bridge in Kerala has triggered a tit for tat political row with the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front demanding that the public works minister should be held responsible.

The UDF is raising the demand citing the precedent of a case being registered and the arrest of a former public works minister in the previous UDF ministry V K Ebrahimkunju for flaws in the construction of a flyover at Palarivattom in Kochi.

An under-construction bridge across the Chaliyar river at Kooliyadu in Kozhikode district collapsed on Monday. The concrete beams plunged into the river. Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society, which is carrying out the constriction, maintained that malfunctioning of the machines used for fixing the beams led to the mishap. One worker suffered injuries. The bridge was earlier scheduled to be opened by this month-end.

Public works minister P A Mohamed Riyas ordered a probe by the vigilance wing of the public works department. He flayed that the opposition UDF were still having the hangover of poor quality constructions during their term and hence they were raising the allegations of poor construction quality against the left-front government.

The Congress and its coalition partner Indian Union Muslim League staged protests demanding a detailed probe and action against the public works minister. IUML senior leader and MLA M K Muneer said that the government should follow the same steps as it took in the case of the flaws in constriction of the Palarivattom flyover. The minister concerned should be booked, he said.