Keonjhar: Poor communication remains a major problem in tribal-dominated Bansapal block of this district despite the government spending crores of rupees on road projects. Work on many projects has been delayed while substandard construction has defeated the durability of finished projects. Locals attribute the state of affairs to lack of monitoring by the officials concerned.
The real picture of communication can be gauged from the ongoing work on a road project under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from the block headquarters to Taladihi. Thousands of people of Taladihi, Tola and other villages in this hilly region solely depend on this road.
Locals said work on the 3.02 km road project was undertaken years back at a cost of Rs 120.03 lakh, but half of the project has not been completed till date. The deadline was September 4, 2018.
Even Rs 14.66 lakh has been earmarked for maintenance of the road for three years after its completion.
“Given the pace at which the work is going on, the project’s completion remains doubtful even by September 4, 2021,” locals said.
The inordinate delay has caused discontent among the locals. It was alleged that the rural development department has been showing undue favouritism to the contractor concerned. No action is being taken against the contractor.
“When the work was started, we had a lot of hope for faster development, but they have faded now as we are not certain when the work will be completed,” said some locals.
Besides, lack of drinking water is another problem the villagers face. “All the tube wells in the area have gone defunct while the people are forced to drink water from creeks and streams,” lamented Muga Dehury, a local.
In the absence of a road, vehicles fail to have access to the villages to drill bore wells. In the rainy season, the commuting problem compounds, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, the villagers have sought the Collector’s intervention in the PMGSY project.
PNN