Choose the correct alternative which will improve the quoted part of the given sentence.
The local authorities ‘were never bothering to’ inquire about the unfortunate happenings.

Correct option is B

The correct substitution is: “never bothered to”.
Explanation:
“Were never bothering” is incorrect in this context, as the event seems to have occurred in the past. The action is completed and definite, so Simple Past — “never bothered to” is the correct form.
Grammatical Rule Used:
For completed past actions, use Simple Past (V2), not Past Continuous.
Explanation in Hindi:
जब कोई कार्य भूतकाल में पूरा हो गया हो, तो वहां “Past Continuous” का प्रयोग नहीं होता।
इसलिए “never bothered to” का प्रयोग उचित है।
Example:
They never bothered to call back. ✅