A newly installed clock tower in Bihar Sharif has become the butt of jokes and criticism on social media after it reportedly stopped working within a day of its inauguration. The structure, which many believed and claimed cost Rs 40 lakh, drew flak for its outdated design and poor finish.
Why Is Bihar's Clock Tower Trending On Social Media?
The structure went viral after people reportedly noticed it stopped working just a day after it was unveiled during Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Pragati Yatra. The tower's outdated design, patchy paintwork, and early malfunction left the people disappointed. Many mocked it online, calling it an "eyesore" and comparing it to school projects.
One of the biggest points of outrage was the claim that Rs 40 lakh had been spent on the clock tower.
This shabbily painted, poorly finished, concrete clock tower in Bihar Sharif, built under 'Smart City' project, had its clock stop working within 24 hours of inauguration.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) April 6, 2025
Guess the production cost? Only ₹40 lakh! Just 40 lakhs for this architectural marvel! Hats off! pic.twitter.com/GZqnGX8z7Q
People questioned how such an ordinary-looking structure could cost so much, comparing it to far grander clock towers built for similar amounts.
50 lakh clock tower in Odisha vs. 40 lakh clock tower in Bihar
— Lord Immy Kant (Eastern Exile) (@KantInEast) April 7, 2025
Not all Babus, but always a Babu pic.twitter.com/VAmCU8mBcl
Left : Haridwar Clock tower built by Maharaja Baldev Das in 1938
— Hindutva Knight (@HPhobiaWatch) April 6, 2025
Right : Bihar Sharif Clock tower built by corrupt bureaucrats in 2025
India will never achieve its true potential till Babudom persists pic.twitter.com/59cZ0KjiKH
The 4th one is a newly built clock tower of Bihar claiming that they spent around 40 lakhs. And the irony is it stopped working the very next day of its inauguration. ????????https://t.co/izBrSyJbdD pic.twitter.com/kx87R8vyqy
— Manish RJ (@mrjethwani_) April 7, 2025
The clock tower, which resembles a plain white square box with a basic clock face perched atop a simple white pillar, has led many to call it a textbook case of Bihar's corruption-tainted civic projects.
This tower was made at the cost of 40L. The clock stopped working immediately after inauguration. Rest of the places corruption is there, but in Bihar it's the most blatant. pic.twitter.com/1CQmcFEc2Q
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) April 6, 2025
Was Bihar's Clock Tower Built At A Cost Of Rs 40 Lakh?
Bihar Sharif Smart City Limited has issued a statement refuting claims that Rs 40 lakh was spent on the clock tower, dismissing them as "rumours".
"Some media handles are spreading rumours that the clock tower in Bihar Sharif has been constructed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. Please stay away from such rumours," the statement read.
कुछ मीडिया हैंडल द्वारा अफवाह फैलाया जा रहा है कि बिहारशरीफ में घंटाघर का निर्माण 40 लाख रुपये की लागत से किया गया है। कृपया ऐसी अफवाओं से दूर रहें।
— Biharsharif Smart City Limited (@BiharsharifL) April 6, 2025
आप सभी को सूचित किया जाता है कि अभी इस घंटाघर का डिज़ाइन फाइनल नहीं हुआ है और इसके निर्माण का कार्य भी पूर्ण नहीं हुआ है।
Municipal Commissioner of Bihar Sharif, Deepak Kumar Mishra, clarified to The Indian Express that the clock tower was built at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, and not 40.
Did Bihar's Clock Tower Stop Working?
The clock tower stopped working after someone stole a cable just days after it was briefly made operational, Mr Mishra said. According to him, the clock tower has not been officially inaugurated yet as the project is still underway.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, "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 added the structure was just one component of the larger Nala Road Project, which aims to connect Machli Mandi to Mughal Kuan.
The Bihar Sharif Smart City board also added that the construction was incomplete. "All of you are informed that the design of this clock tower has not been finalised yet and its construction work has also not been completed," they said.
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