From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, Jan 17: Bindas Syiem, a resident of Mawlong village who had earlier staged a hunger strike at the Additional Secretariat demanding the blacktopping of the Nongpoh-Umden-Sunapur road, on Saturday expressed deep anguish after alleged irregularities were detected in the execution of the construction work.
Her concern comes in the wake of the circulation of videos on social media that appear to show substandard work being carried out on the stretch.
Syiem, accompanied by supporters, personally visited the affected sections of the road, particularly in the Plasha village area, to assess the quality of the work.
The site inspection, conducted after the videos went viral, reportedly revealed glaring lapses in construction.
According to those present, portions of the freshly laid blacktop were so weak that they could be easily scraped off by hand, raising serious questions about the quality of materials used and the manner in which the work was executed.
Visibly distressed by what she witnessed, Syiem said the condition of the road was deeply disheartening, especially given the struggle she had undertaken to ensure that the project was sanctioned and implemented.
She maintained that such poor workmanship would not bring any real relief to residents of the area, who have long suffered due to the dilapidated condition of the road.
Speaking to the media persons, Syiem recalled that she had endured a hunger strike at the Additional Secretariat purely in the public interest, seeking a durable and properly constructed blacktopped road.
She said it was therefore painful to see the work allegedly being carried out in a careless and substandard manner.
She urged the concerned contractor to act responsibly, redo the damaged portions and ensure that the road is rebuilt properly in accordance with required standards.
The Nongpoh-Umden-Sunapur road had remained in the news after Syiem staged her hunger strike agitation at the Additional Secretariat to press for urgent repairs.
While the subsequent sanctioning of the road work was welcomed by the public, Syiem said the present state of construction has left her saddened and disappointed, undermining the very purpose of her protest.
She nevertheless expressed gratitude to the state government and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong for responding to her demand and facilitating the execution of the project.
However, she stressed that it was distressing to witness alleged irregularities after the work had finally begun, and appealed for strict monitoring to ensure accountability and quality in public infrastructure projects.
