Saintala: Residents of this block in Bolangir district are facing loads of difficulties due to an inordinate delay in the construction of a bridge over the Lanth river that is expected to serve as a vital link between two prominent gram panchayats (GPs).
Reports said it has been two years since the Works department had taken up the construction work for the bridge that would connect Deng GP and Kamarlaga GP under Saintala block. However, the contractor has been delaying the work for reasons best known to him. On top of this, absence of a makeshift road has forced residents to take longer and perilous detours, adding up to 12 km to their daily commute, the reports added.
The block hosts various government offices, schools, colleges, and other institutions, and people from neighbouring areas such as Kuikeda panchayat’s Kamarlaga and Rengali; Gabhandapatrapali panchayat’s Bhatasar and Gandapatrapali; Dharabagad panchayat’s Jamkhunta, and Dharabagad village visit Saintala block headquarters regularly for official works, the sources added. Likewise, the residents of Saintala, Deng, Karamatala, and Kumbhari GPs also depend on this route to reach Titilagarh.
The block administration had built a temporary road across Lanth river during winter that helped the people of these panchayats to avoid detouring 10 to 12 km. However, when the bridge construction began, the contractor conveniently violated the norm of creating a temporary access route.
Repeated requests from the villagers under Deng and Kamarlaga GPs fell on deaf ears of the contractor, who said the government has not provided any guidelines on this, the locals alleged. Meanwhile, attempts to engage with the workers overseeing the construction work have been unsuccessful, as they are rarely present at the site to address the issue. Allegations have also come to the fore about use of substandard raw materials in the construction.
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While the rods have started rusting, sand for the construction is being lifted from below the bridge itself. Likewise, gravels are either being inadequately or improperly used. Meanwhile, attempts to reach out to Works Department SDO Dileswar Majhi over phone went unanswered. The locals have urged the administration to ensure that the contractor and engineers are present at the site for proper execution of the work and built a temporary road there.
PNN
