PATNA, May 10 -- The Road Construction Department (RCD) of Bihar has ordered an urgent safety audit of all major bridges across the state following the recent collapse of a span of the iconic Vikramshila Setu in Bhagalpur. Officials said on Saturday that the exercise, as per the instruction, must be completed within the next 72 hours, starting from Sunday. The move aims to address growing concerns over the structural safety of old and ageing bridges, particularly as the monsoon season is set to arrive later next month. RCD Secretary Pankaj Kumar issued an instruction to carry out the safety audit after a high-level review meeting on Saturday. "Senior officials and engineers were told to immediately assess condition of existing infrastructure and take immediate remedial measures," said executive engineer present in meeting. According to Jitendra Kumar, managing director of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), bridges between the length of 60 to 250 metres and above will be covered in the audit drive. He added that in Bihar, there are 3003 bridges between the length of 6 to 60 metres, 479 bridges between 60 to 250 metres and 97 bridges with length above 250 metres. He said that audit teams have been told to examine critical elements including bearings, girders, span slabs, piles, expansion joints, approach roads and drainage systems, with reports to be uploaded promptly on the department's portal. Secretary Pal issued firm directions, warning that any laxity would not be tolerated. "There will be no compromise on the safety and quality of bridges," he said, adding that regular monitoring must be ensured to prevent any untoward incidents. He made it clear that accountability would extend to senior levels - if any bridge suffers damage due to negligence, the concerned Executive Engineer as well as headquarters-level officers will face strict action....