Jajpur: Even as more than two years have passed to the loot of equipment and raw material worth over Rs 40 crore from the camp sites of an implementing agency engaged in construction of NH-200, the police have failed to make any headway in the probe, a report said.
As a result, the construction of the Talcher-Duburi-Chandikhole stretch of NH-200 carried out by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been seriously hit.
A Bhubaneswar-based agency Z Plus Surakshya Seva which was in-charge of the security of the properties has lodged complaints at Sukinda, Dharmasala, Jenapur police stations in Jajpur district and at Bhuban and Kamakhyanagar police stations in Dhenkanal district.
The complainant has alleged the sub-contractors engaged in the construction have looted the equipment and construction material from the camp sites of after the NHAI terminated the contract of the implementing agency on charge of improper execution of the project.
NHAI project director Sanjay Chhana has also lodged complaint (letter no-889, June 22, 2017) with the Jajpur and Dhenkanal SPs.
It is suspected that miscreants after looting the properties might have sold them off outside the state.
M/s Corsan Corvium Constructions SA was appointed as the implementing agency of the four-laning work of the Talcher-Duburi-Chandikhole stretch of NH-200 at an expenditure of Rs 1,600 crore.
However, the implementing failed to carry out the work as per the contract and appointed some sub-contractors to execute the project. Consequently, the NHAI terminated the contract of the firm March 15, 2017.
The agency appointed Z Plus Surakshya Seva to look after the properties at the camp sites in Bhuban, Chandikhole and Kamakhyanagar and left the sites without settling the outstanding dues of the sub-contractors and other agencies.
As a result, construction material and equipment worth several crores were left abandoned at the camp sites. As per the NHAI guidelines after termination of contract the construction material and equipment are the properties of NHAI. However, the sub-contractor without informing anybody looted the construction materials and equipment from the camp sites at Bhuban, Chandkhole and Kamakhyanagar by threatening the security guards. The managing partner Krushna Chandra Swain of the security agency lodged complaints June 19, 2017.
Meanwhile, the sub-contractors have looted raw material and equipment from the Chandikhole office and Chadheidhara camp and planning for further loot at Mangalpur, Bhuban and Kamakhyanagar camps.
The project director, NHAI, Dhenkanal, was not available for comment.
PNN