Bhagalpur (Bihar) [India], May 15 (ANI): Bihar Public Works Department (PwD) Minister Kumar Shailendra on Thursday said repair work on the damaged Vikramshila Setu in Bhagalpur is progressing rapidly and the bridge is expected to become operational again within 10 to 15 days.

Speaking after inspecting the repair work at the site, Shailendra said the government acted immediately after a portion of the bridge collapsed earlier this month.

'Immediately after this bridge collapsed, CM Samrat Choudhary, the Secretary, and I held a meeting. We prepared a detailed plan to fix it right away. We will have it operational again within 10 to 15 days,' he said.

The minister said repair work is currently underway on the damaged sections of the bridge and assured that the process is being carried out transparently.

'This bridge has three sections (spans), and we are currently repairing them. The government is fully alert; Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has given clear instructions that this work be carried out with complete transparency, and I have come here to inspect it,' he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Purnea MP Pappu Yadav also visited the damaged portion of the Vikramshila Setu and criticised the government over the bridge's condition and the hardships faced by residents.

He alleged that people crossing the river by boats were being overcharged and demanded free ferry services for the public.

'A boatman charges a child Rs 100. After 5 pm, there is no boat for students. Hotels charge Rs 1,000. Milk gets spoiled, and vegetables cannot arrive in the morning,' Yadav said.

He further alleged corruption in infrastructure projects and questioned the quality of construction work.

'I have written 50 letters to Gadkari ji and others about the Singla company. So many of its bridges have broken. They distribute all the money among themselves,' he alleged.

Yadav also announced that he would arrange five free boats for the public in view of the difficulties being faced after the bridge closure.

At midnight on May 3, a slab between two pillars of the Vikramshila Setu, which connects the Purvanchal region to Seemanchal across the Ganga river, collapsed. Following the incident, district officials and senior police officers rushed to the spot, traffic was halted, and routes were diverted.

According to reports, a 10-inch expansion joint first subsided, after which a slab near pier number 133 gave way and fell into the river. The bridge, considered a crucial link between Bhagalpur and Seemanchal, remains closed for traffic. (ANI)