Begunia: Delay in the construction of a road between Koluhapatna and Badapadar in Badaberana gram panchayat under Begunia block under the Pradhan Mantri Gramya Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has created resentment among the villagers.
The villagers claimed that a private contractor, engaged in executing the road project, has left the construction process midway after facing allegations of sub-standard work.
The district administration had decided to lay a concrete road connecting Koluhapatna and Badapadar under the PMGSY by considering the longstanding demand of the villagers.
The administration had sanctioned Rs 1.06 crore for the 2.5 km road and engaged a private contractor to execute the project.
The contractor was asked to complete the road project by February 24, 2019. However, the contractor has so far completed 40 per cent of the road project.
“The contractor has failed to complete the project within the scheduled date. Recently, he has discontinued the construction work for unknown reasons,” said a villager.
The villagers have alleged that the contractor had flouted several guidelines laid by the government to ensure quality work. “He was using poor quality materials for the road project. We had raised the issue with the authorities, but nothing has been done,” alleged another villager.
According to sources, no official from the district administration has ever visited the village to inspect the project work.
The contractor has also failed to construct a few small bridges for the road projects, sources said.
When contacted, Rural Development department official Anil Sethi said construction work for the road project has slowed down due to shortage of pitch and other materials. “We have asked the contractor to complete the project at the earliest,” Sethi added.
Sethi also admitted that they have received some complaints on the substandard work. “We would look in to the issue,” he said.
