Chhatrapur: Showcase notices have been issued to 12 contractors for inordinate delay in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) road construction, stopping the work halfway and not completing projects within a specified deadline. The superintending engineer, Rural Works Division–II, Berhampur has issued these notices under SBD clause (52.2). In the notice, contractors have been directed to answer within a week of receiving it as to why their contracts will not be cancelled and why compensation will not be recovered from them.
As per reports, the road construction under PMGSY in Ganjam district have seen unprecedented delays. In some cases, construction has been done haphazardly, and in others, work has been stopped mid-way. In some cases, work has not been completed even after the deadline. The superintending engineer in Ganjam district has sent many show-cause notices to the contractors regularly, but that hasn’t helped. The department only sends show-cause notices to the contractors and becomes a silent spectator as no strict action is taken against these contractors, sources alleged. As per reports, only 34.21 per cent of work on the KarataliBrahmaniapalli road project via Shreerampur has been completed.
The deadline for it was in September 2022. Similarly, only 37.23 per cent of construction has been completed on NH-5 to Kharida via P Ramchandrapur, the deadline for which is over. While the Dikili via Nuagadapheta BaritalaKhamarigaon road construction has progressed only 18.86 per cent, more than 84 per cent of the road to Chikiti block border via Panhama Randa-GolantharaMatrindi-Biswanathpur has been constructed. However, it also missed the completion deadline which was more than a year back. Meanwhile work on the PWD road connecting Sanagopalpur to Lauputu has progressed only 56.30 per cent. Among other road construction work the Mahurikana-Kharida Chowk via Semenpur Chowk is over 91% complete, Rangunipalli Nayagarh road 51.45 per cent complete, Sikiri-Nandika via Ralaba road 61.78 per cent complete and Jakar Road-Biribatia via Manikpur-Ambapur 21.08% complete. All these projects