The carpeting has been damaged and potholes have developed just a few months after completion of the work on 6-km-long road stretching from Babra road millgate area to Rakhalgachhi union in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah district.
According to Kaliganj upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), a contractor Naser Alom Siddiqui Uzzal under the licence of Messer’s Hannan Enterprise got a 1.32 crore work order for the carpeting of the road.
As per schedule, the renovation work was supposed to be started on January 26 but contractor Uzzal started the work on May 26 this year. Locals alleged that substandard materials including bricks were used to renovate the road. For this reason, carpeting got damaged, potholes have developed and the road also caved in many places after the completion of repair.
Abdur Rahman from Monohorpur village said: “We will be blamed if we say anything about the road. The government is allocating a huge amount of money for road construction, but contractors are not working religiously. They are constructing the road with substandard materials.”
“We are farmers who are always in trouble as we need to transport agricultural goods using this damaged road.” Abdur Rahman added.
Responding to the allegations, contractor Naser Alom Siddiqui Uzzal, said: “We did not build a new road; rather we have repaired an old road. We have only carpeted the road and it was not a subject for me to know whether there was sand or brick under the road. We worked as per the schedule.”
“Rain took place two days after the carpeting was done and some ten-wheeler vehicles plied the road. For this reason, the road caved in many places and was damaged. I have even repaired the damaged parts on my own on request of an upazila engineer. I will not be responsible if the road is damaged due to ten-wheeler vehicles.”
Contacted, Kaliganj upazila Engineer Sanaul Haque, claimed the carpeting of the road did not get damaged. “I have inspected the road. It was damaged at different places as rain occurred two days after completion of repair and heavy vehicles are plying the road.”
Asked whether actions will be taken or not against the contractor or the enterprise as the road was damaged just a few months after completion of repair, Sanaul told this correspondent to meet him at his office in person for further discussion about the matter.
Kaliganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Suborna Rani Saha, said:“I do not know that the road was damaged. I will inspect the road and will take actions upon investigation.”
