KHARKUTTA (NGH), July 26: Residents of Baksalpara under the Kharkutta C&RD Block in North Garo Hills (NGH) have questioned the PWD as well as the contractor after a road connecting the villages of Baksalpara and Bagabata sustained serious damage, with no repairs having been undertaken despite the road being under the mandatory five-year maintenance period.
The road in question is the 3-km PMGSY road connecting the two villages. It was completed in 2022 and constructed by MERYL Constructions of Damas, North Garo Hills, at a cost of just over Rs 2 crore.
The five-year maintenance contract for the route amounted to a little over Rs 16 lakh. However, since the road was completed, repair and maintenance work has not been carried out even once, according to local residents. As per the signboard at the site, the road was completed in September 2022, with the maintenance period extending for five years until September 2027. However, despite the wear and tear on the road, no repairs have been undertaken by the contractor, with villagers claiming this is a violation of the terms of the contract.“This is a blatant violation of the terms of contract as it specifies that the road needs to be maintained by the contractor. The road currently has become dilapidated and was something that the contractor should have rectified. Are they actually trying to siphon the money meant for repairs without touching one section of the road for repairs,” asked a resident of Baksalpara.
According to the residents, only one year remains under the maintenance contract, and they fear that if no action is taken, the contractor will pocket the maintenance funds without carrying out any repair work.
They said the poor condition of the road had prompted them to visit the office of the Executive Engineer of the PWD to seek repairs. However, despite submitting a complaint a few weeks ago, no action has been taken.
“Most sections of the 3-km road have developed major potholes and inconveniences residents who use it for their daily commute. We now feel desperation over the situation as this road is something we have been fighting for since a long time ago. We just want the contractor and the department to get serious and ensure the road is repaired until the contract period remains valid,” the residents added.
