From Our Correspondent
Tura, July 6: Garo Hills-based NGOs AYWO and FAF have written to the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills (WGH) over what they claimed was sub-standard work executed by the contractor in construction of the road between Rongkhon Songgital and Asibra in Tura.
The project, as per the NGOs, was assigned to one Bimal Agarwala.
The NGOs stated that they had been approached by the development committees of the adjacent villages complaining about extremely poor construction work. Accordingly, an RTI including the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was sought.
The NGOs added that when they went to inspect the site of the project, they found that the project had not been done according to DPR and would hardly last a year. “He (contractor) has not executed the project diligently and this is not acceptable. The poor construction work due to negligence was quite apparent. The villagers had even asked the contractor to work diligently but to no avail,” informed AYWO president Sengbath Marak.
According to them, there were many shortcomings in the project as a stone masonry wall was supposed to have been constructed but is missing. Further drainage of 1509 kms was manipulated and shortened.
“The above mentioned road can only be lasted for a year due to its poor construction quality. We are apprehensive that the GSB, first and second coating have also been manipulated while the thickness of the final carpeting is not tallying with what is mentioned in the DPR,” added Marak. The NGOs questioned the ethics of both the contractor and the department concerned that passed the work after inspection.
“We have on multiple occasions tried to meet the PWD engineer (North – Division) on the issue but it has been in vain,” they added.
In their complaint to the DC, the NGOs have sought an immediate inquiry into the matter as well as the blacklisting of the contractor for the shoddy work.
Further they also asked for the ‘siphoned’ money to be recovered and the work redone as well as action against the supervisor of the project for passing such sub standard work.
