Ram Vilas was in particular direct in his criticism and charged the Bihar government with taking commission in the name of maintenance. The same would continue during the revamp, he allged.

On the other hand Ravi Shankar said Rs 200 crore has been given to the state for maintenance. Where that money has gone?

The Road Minister, on his part, said that now after Cabinet approval the tenders would be received by July 13 and work would start on August 15.

Gadkari said previously the government had roped in Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to study whether the bridge can be revamped with the use of Japanese technology. The JICA had come out with a seven year plan entailing Rs 2,800 crore cost including Rs 2,200 crore civil cost.

However, to expedite it another consultant was appointed which proposed to build it at a cost of Rs 1,742 crore including the civil construction cost of Rs 1,355 crore, he said.

ThIS bridge will be constructed after dismantling the damaged pre-stressed cantilever arms superstructure and subsequent re-decking by steel truss.

Notwithstanding the allegations levelled by Ram Vilas Paswan and Ravi Shankar Prasad the truth is that the construction work would be undertaken by a foreign agency with hardly any scope for state government to interfere or mint money.

Analysts are dismissing the statement just as a political stunt.