During the ongoing construction of a bridge over the river in the village of Rohta in the Nabha block, a part of the bridge collapsed, raising concerns. Local residents from nearby villages protested against the contractor and Public Works Department (PWD) officials, accusing them of using substandard materials. To investigate the incident, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu visited the site and issued strict instructions that stringent action should be taken against those responsible for the collapse of the bridge. He also ordered samples of the materials used on the bridge to be tested. The issue of the bridge collapsing had already led to widespread protests by residents of various villages, who had been demanding the reconstruction of the collapsed part. Seeing the deteriorating situation, Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh Sidhu directed that the section that had collapsed during the construction of the new bridge should be reconstructed immediately. Additionally, strict action will be taken against those found guilty of using substandard materials during the construction, and samples of the materials used will also be tested. The estimated cost of the bridge construction is INR 1.75 crore, and several roads are connected to the bridge.Surprisingly, when the Health Minister arrived, orders were issued immediately to investigate and take departmental action. Local residents had been demanding action for the past few days. It remains to be seen whether those responsible for the mishandling of the bridge construction will face consequences; this will be revealed in the coming days.
