Kaptipada: The Centre spends crores of rupees to boost rural road connectivity though the PMGSY, but a road project in Kaptipada area has allegedly been botched up and the contractor has minted money from the project, a report said.
Under the PMGSY, a 19-km road has been laid from Mahisasuri to Padmapokhari. “But the project has been marred by irregularities while engineers and contractors have minted money from the road project by botching up construction,” locals alleged.
Locals had drawn attention of the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, Lokayaukta, the District Collector, the Vigilance SP of Balasore and media persons August 28, but no action has been taken in this regard.
They alleged that the department has been trying to protect the contractors and engineers involved in the irregularities, because the department has not ordered any investigation into it.
The villagers said, then executive engineer of the rural development Sukant Behera has assured to cancel the tender of the contractor by September 26. He even assured that the contractor will be blacklisted, but nothing was done.
The project has missed the deadline two years ago. Despite this, the department has extended its deadline by three more months, the villagers said, seeking to know why the department has adopted a soft approach toward the contractor.
Engineers Jagdish Behera and Satyabrata Nayak said they have written a letter to their higher-ups on the non-cooperation of the contractor.
Reports said, Rs 6.69 crore was sanctioned for the road project in December 2, 2016. Its construction was to be completed September 1, 2017.
In the last two years, even 25 per cent of the work has not been done, said villagers of Majhigadia, Gendagadia, Adarpada, Purunaopani and Tolagadia. They demanded a high level probe into the irregularities in the road project.
Black topping of the road has peeled off at Bhejadiha, Chhatramba, Raipla and Padmpokhari while the department has cleared bill for 70 per cent of the work, it was alleged.
They also pointed out that the department is not getting the road checked with authorities of State Quality Monitoring and National Quality Monitoring.