PATNA, Sept. 6 -- In Bihar's flood-ravaged rural heartland, where collapsed bridges and washed-out roads maroon villages every monsoon, the rural works department (RWD) is cracking the whip on contractors stalling critical infrastructure projects. With work orders for 704 rural bridges under the relaunched Mukhyamantri Gramin Setu Yojana awarded one to two months ago, over 200 projects remain grounded due to contractors' excuses. The RWD has set a non-negotiable deadline of September 10, threatening to cancel contracts, blacklist firms, and seize security deposits under the Contract Management and Bonding Directive (CMBD) and Bihar Contractor Registration (BCR) Rules if work doesn't start. This hardline stance comes as the Nitish Kumar-led government races to showcase rural progress before elections, against the backdrop of a 2024 monsoon that saw over 18 bridge collapses across Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj, including 12 in just 17 days. The collapses, blamed on heavy rains, shoddy construction, substandard materials and poor desilting practices had triggered a state-wide audit of around 1,200 bridges over 60 meters long. The audit revealed urgent repair or reconstruction needs for around 225 small to medium size bridges across the state, prompting a new maintenance policy mandating "health cards" for regular inspections. The Mukhyamantri Gramin Setu Yojana, funded with Rs.3,688 crore for 2025-26, aims to build 704 new bridges to fix missing links, replace dilapidated structures and restore flood-damaged ones, ensuring year-round connectivity for thousands of villages. The scheme targets flood-prone districts, with East Champaran leading at 56 bridges, followed by Darbhanga (38), Gaya, Siwan and Sitamarhi (30 each), Saran and Vaishali (28 each), Bhagalpur and Gopalganj (27 each), Rohtas and Sheikhpura (26 each), Nalanda (24), Begusarai (20) and Patna (18). "It's not just about construction-it's about transforming rural life. Farmers will gain faster market access, students safer school routes, and emergencies quicker hospital trips," said an engineer of the RWD. The project, shaped by public demands from the "Janata ke Darbar mein Mukhyamantri" programme, reflects a rare blend of grassroots input and government ambition. Yet, contractor delays threaten to derail this vision. RWD additional chief secretary Dipak Kumar Singh warned, "We expect most projects to start by September 10, or we'll take firm action against non-compliant firms."...