Bengal to set up corporation to oversee construction,

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sent a directive from Italy to the state government to set up a corporation that will keep an eye on the construction, health-review and maintenance of bridges, a senior minister said.

The state has a number of bridges maintained by different departments like the Public Works Department (PWD), Urban Development Department, Irrigation Department as well as different Zilla Parishads, but they do not have much expertise on construction and maintenance of the bridges, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said at the state secretariat.

"... The state government is planning to come up with a corporation which will look after the construction, health-review and maintenance (of bridges). The state will now form a corporation constituting of experts," Chatterjee told reporters.

"The chief minister, after returning from her Europe tour, will hold a meeting with the officials as well as the engineers regarding the condition of bridges, their maintenance and all other aspects," he added.

Banerjee is on a 12-day tour to Europe to attract investments.

Following the collapse of a portion of the Majerhat bridge last month, over 20 other bridges have been found in "vulnerable" state. Banerjee has barred plying of 20-wheel trucks over bridges in West Bengal.