Jajpur: Mukhyamantri Sadak Yojana (MMSY), a flagship programme by the state government to strengthen road connectivity in rural areas, has run into rough weather thanks to rampant irregularities in Jajpur district, a report said.
For instance, Abhay Kumar Mohapatra, a special class contractor, who had been awarded a road project, was issued a show cause notice Wednesday by the executive engineer of Jaraka division of Rural Development department (RD-II) for carrying out substandard work on the site. The contractor has been given 10 days to respond to the notice otherwise he would face legal action, the letter said. The work from NH-5-A to Rukutipat via Patrajpur and Nanpur was awarded to Mohapatra, it was learnt.
Earlier, it was alleged crores of rupees of government funds were looted over last seven years under RD’s Jaraka division in the name of maintenance and construction of various road projects.
It may be noted that the Centre had launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to lay new roads in rural areas and to connect them to urban areas. In last 16 years, the RD department completed 1,057 km of roads under 226 projects in the district. Nearly 425 localities have benefited from it.
Later, the state government launched MMSY during 2014-15 for construction of road in areas not covered by PMGSY. The scheme aimed at laying strong and long-lasting road in rural areas. However, the nexus between junior engineers, assistant engineers and contractors has let down the government.
For example, Rukutipat via Patrajpur and Nanpur road has been damaged at several places before the project got completed. Though the contractor had been directed to rectify the earth work on a stretch of 1.5 km, he didn’t bother to carry out the order.
The contract doesn’t respond to the warning issued by the department since he has got the blessings of a local people’s representative, an officer said.
Locals threatened to take up the issue with the Chief Minister unless the stretch was properly laid and the damaged part repaired soon. PNN