A newly constructed clock tower in Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district, has stirred online outrage, quickly becoming the centre of mockery and criticism. What started with a few viral images on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) soon snowballed into a full-blown controversy, with netizens questioning the structure’s design, cost, and functionality or lack thereof.

What Happened With the Clock Tower?

The clock tower was apparently made functional just in time for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Pragati Yatra, reports Dainik Bhaskar. But within a day of having been made operational, the clock fell silent. Why? Apparently, miscreants broke into the building and snatched the copper wires. That’s when the tower was left showing the same time twice a day was 4:20.

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Making Cost of the Clock Tower

The outrage grew more severe when internet users found out the estimated price of the clock tower: Rs 40 lakh. For a building many considered to be unfinished and bereft of any visual sophistication, the price was exorbitant. Some were able to dig up what they said was the original plan of the building—a one that looked rather different from what had been put up. Pictures presented a plain concrete skeleton painted white, without finesse or finer details.

“This badly painted, poorly executed, concrete clock tower in Bihar Sharif, constructed under ‘Smart City’ project, had its clock malfunctioning within 24 hours of its inauguration. Guess how much production cost? Only ₹40 lakh! Just 40 lakhs for this architectural wonder! Hats off!” joked one user on ‘X’.

Social Media Reactions

With sarcastic updates and memes circulating, the tower was termed “an engineering marvel,” “21st-century masterpiece,” and an “eighth wonder of the world” by many. When the criticism picked up, focus shifted to Bihar Sharif’s Municipal Commissioner Deepak Kumar Mishra.

Thanks @deepakmishraIAS for the watch tower. It is an architectural wonder that can display the right time twice a day. Ignore social media trolls and open your account, humble request,” said a sarcastic tweet.

Mishra Deletes his X Account

The mentions and hashtags targeted at Mishra started pouring in, with users blaming him for the clock tower and its reported Rs 40 lakh price. At first, his account was put into “protected” mode, restricting people from seeing his posts. Then, it seemed that his account (@deepakmishraIAS) had been completely deactivated.

Amidst constant trolling and public criticism, Deepak Kumar Mishra finally spoke up. In a statement to The Indian Express, he explained that the clock tower had not been officially inaugurated, as popularly believed.

The clock tower has not yet been opened because the project is still ongoing. During the Pragati Yatra, the clock was temporarily made functional, but a few days later, some unidentified persons stole a cable, rendering it useless. Reinstallation work must be carried out,” Mishra said.

He also went on to refer to the controversy regarding the costs, pointing out that the listed Rs 40 lakh was wrong. “The clock which comes under the comprehensive Nala Road Project had the estimated cost of construction at Rs 20 lakh instead,” he went on.

Mishra promised the clock tower is to be ready in sync with the rest of the project.