Bridge built by land brokers to increase price of land in Purnia; Probe underway

PURNIA CITY, WHICH HAS WITNESSED UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION OVER THE PAST DECADE, HAS BECOME A HUB FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, LEADING TO A SHARP RISE IN LAND PRICES

- Aditya Nath Jha

PURNIA: Land brokers in Bihar's Purnia district allegedly constructed a 60-feet long cement bridge over Kari Kosi, a tributary of Kosi River under Purnea Municipal Corporation (PMC) area. Interestingly enough, neither district administration nor PMC officials have any knowledge about it.

Purnia district magistrate (DM) Kundan Kumar, when contacted on phone, said, "The matter is being looked into by the PMC Commissioner."

After the report flashed in the media, PMC took note of it and sent the officials to demolish it, stating the bridge was constructed without taking NOC (No objection certificate) and declared it illegal. But the henchmen of land brokers who are said to run their parallel administration forced the PMC officials and JCB driver to retreat.