At a time the BJP-led Sarbananda Sonowal government is claiming of transparency in implementation of developmental works across the State, the poor standard of the construction work of the Jhagrarpar-Gauripur road portrays a contradictory picture.
The Jhagrarpar-Gauripur road which is a link road to the Dhubri Civil Hospital is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5.14 lakh.
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The residents of Jhagrarpar area, while talking to media persons, categorically alleging sub-standard quality of work, said the road has been built with low quality materials by employing some local contractors of the area.
The locals alleged, “The local contractors who have been engaged in the construction work actually have no idea of construction of road which has resulted in immediate cracks, faults and falling of blocks of the road due to lack of compaction.”
The villagers further alleged when they started to raise voice against the poor construction work in the area, the contractor, Nabiual Islam, allegedly offered a sum of Rs 10,000 to the villagers in the name of other development works.
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The shocking part of the news is that the Executive Engineer of PWD (Road), Dhubri, has ruled out the alleged anomalies in the construction of the Jhagrarpar-Gauripur link road and he too tried to defend the contractor and cited inclement weather as a major reason behind the tardy pace of work.
“Some rectifications are required and the contractors have been instructed in this regard,” Siddique Rahman, Executive Engineer, PWD (Road), Dhubri told media persons.
The residents alleged that the entire construction works were being done just by covering the road with soil.
“The road metalling process, which is a must, has not been done,” the locals alleged.
Blaming the contractor for the poor quality construction work, the locals have demanded a high-level inquiry into the gross anomaly.
On the other hand, the locals have smelled a rat as the PWD Engineer is trying to give clean chit to the contractor at the cost of commuters. “There may be a secret deal between the PWD Engineer and the contractor,” locals alleged.
The Jhagrarpar-Gauripur link road, construction of which was staretd on January 21, 2013, is used as an alternate road parallel to GTB Road (Dhubri-Gauripur Main Road).
Apart from the civil hospital, the Dhubri Radio Station, BT College and even the FCI Godown are also located along this road.
Sofiqul Alom, a local resident of Jhagararpar village said, “The road has been under construction since the last four-five years and still the construction work has not been completed due to which the commuters of the area have faced lots of hardship.”
Another local and advocate Azaharul Islam said, “We have submitted a number of representations before the authorities concerned for early completion of the construction of the road, but they have no time to hear the grievances of the local peoples and the problems being faced by them since long.”
“The PWD road is full of potholes and as the road is broken in many places during rains its condition becomes horrible due to water-logging,” Islam further added.