The Madhya Pradesh government has taken decisive action against eight engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) following the discovery of a "faulty design" in a newly constructed Rail Over Bridge (ROB) in the Aishbagh area of Bhopal. The bridge's design incorporated an unusual and potentially hazardous 90-degree turn, sparking public criticism and prompting a swift response from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Chief Minister Yadav, taking cognizance of the serious negligence in the construction of the Aishbagh ROB, ordered an inquiry into the matter. Based on the investigation report, the government suspended seven engineers with immediate effect. Those suspended include two chief engineers: G. P. Verma (chief engineer, bridge) and Sanjay Khande (chief engineer, design). The other suspended engineers are assistant engineer Sonal Saxena, in-charge executive engineer Shabana Razzak, deputy engineer Umashankar Mishra, deputy engineer Ravi Shukla, and executive engineer Javed Shaqueel. Additionally, a departmental inquiry has been initiated against a retired senior engineer, M.P. Singh.
In addition to the suspensions and inquiry, the government has blacklisted the construction agency and the design consultant involved in the project for providing a faulty design. The blacklisted agencies are architect firm M/s Puneet Chaddha and design consultant M/s Dynamic Consultant.
The ROB, intended to ease congestion at a busy railway crossing in the Aishbagh area, has instead become a subject of public ridicule due to its sharp 90-degree turn. Concerns have been raised about the difficulty vehicles will face navigating the turn and the potential for accidents. Pictures of the bridge went viral earlier in June 2025, drawing severe criticism of the state government.
Chief Minister Yadav has stated that a committee has been formed to make the necessary improvements to the ROB. He affirmed that the bridge will only be inaugurated after these improvements are completed. According to PWD sources, corrective measures may involve removing the current railing at the 90-degree turn and converting it into a broader curve, potentially increasing the bridge width by approximately three feet.
Initially, officials defended the design, attributing the flawed alignment to limited land availability near a metro station. One official stated that there was no other option due to the lack of land. However, mounting pressure and a detailed report prompted the Chief Minister to order an inquiry, which revealed gross negligence in the planning and execution of the project.
