An under-construction clock tower in Bihar Sharif, a Smart City, is at the centre of a row after social media buzz over shoddy workmanship and claims that it stopped working shortly after inauguration. Authorities, however, told The Indian Express that the project is still incomplete and “the current structure is not the final design”. Over the weekend, social media posts suggested the clock tower stopped functioning within 24 hours of its "inauguration” and criticised the quality of construction. But the Municipal Commissioner of Bihar Sharif, Deepak Kumar Mishra, told The Indian Express that the “rumour” is “false”. “The clock tower has not yet been inaugurated as the project is still underway. During the Pragati Yatra, the clock was briefly made operational, but a few days later, unknown individuals stole a cable, making it defunct. Reinstallation work needs to be done,” he said. The officer said the construction of the clock tower is also incomplete. “This isn’t the final design,” he said, sharing a projected design of the structure with The Indian Express. He said the tower was built at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, and not Rs 40 lakh as some have speculated. Mishra said the clock tower is a component of the broader Nala Road Project, which will connect Machli Mandi to Mughal Kuan. “The project began three years ago with the clearing of encroachments. We initially planned to inaugurate it in March, but delays in removing the encroachments pushed the timeline to the end of May,” he said. The Municipal Commissioner said work at the Machli Mandi end is almost complete, while some tasks remain on the Mughal Kuan side because of pending court cases. “The construction of the clock tower will be completed along with it,” he said.
