RJD unhappy as Tejashwi not invited for Gandhi Setu inauguration

Patna, June 7 (IANS) The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has expressed unhappiness after leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav was not invited for the inauguration of Mahatma Gandhi Setu here on Tuesday.

Chitranjan Gagan, the state spokesperson of the RJD claimed that the NDA government was responsible for the pathetic situation of Mahatma Gandhi Setu after 2005.

"When Mahagathbanghan government came into power in 2015, the then deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who was holding the road construction ministry of Bihar, had met Nitin Gadkari and requested him for the restart of the construction work of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. Due to his initiative, the Centre had approved a sum of Rs 1,742 crore for this project at that time," Gagan said.

"Now, Tejashwi Yadav is a leader of the opposition in Bihar and he is a local MLA as one side of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu terminates in Hajipur which comes under the jurisdiction of Raghopur assembly constituency from where Tejashwi Yadav is an MLA. It is extremely unfortunate that the Bihar government did not invite him for the event," he said.

The bridge connects Patna near zero miles with Hajipur in Vaishali district.

Earlier on Tuesday, union road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar jointly inaugurated the east side of the bridge. With this all 4 lanes have become operational for commuters. These two leaders also laid down the foundation of 15 roads and bridge projects in Bihar having estimated cost of Rs 13,585 crore.