GUWAHATI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) will replace the contractor for the Jorhat-Majuli bridge project in Assam due to delays in construction, officials confirmed on Monday. The decision came after work on the vital infrastructure project halted in September.
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MORTH will now prioritise selecting a new contractor to ensure the bridge is completed by its deadline in December 2025, an official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. This decision follows a meeting in New Delhi with all stakeholders, where concerns about the slow progress were discussed.
In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the CMO confirmed that UP State Bridge Corporation Limited, the current contractor, would be replaced and its performance guarantee forfeited due to its failure to meet agreed timelines.
The construction of the two-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River, connecting Majuli to Jorhat, has been stalled since September 5. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier written to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging immediate action to resume work and avoid jeopardising the project’s completion timeline.
The Rs 650 crore Jorhat-Majuli bridge project was awarded by the MORTH in August 2021.