A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: Severe public outrage erupted after allegations surfaced that a contractor carried out massive irregularities in the construction of the main road in a flood-affected area of greater Bongkwal in the Bokakhat Legislative Assembly constituency.
The locals have stopped the construction of the Bongkwal–Komargaon National Highway connecting road, a project worth nearly Rs 9 crore. Allegations have been raised that since the beginning of the work, massive irregularities were committed in the construction of the main road, which connects the larger flood-hit Bongkwal region to other areas.
It is alleged that the contractor, bearing the surname Parik, misappropriated the lion’s share of the Rs 9 crore in the name of road repair, by merely spreading substandard stone and sand on the old road and then constructing CC blocks over it. Furthermore, after the blocks were laid, the side casting was done with extremely poor-quality materials, so weak that the concrete crumbled upon being touched.
The locals, after exposing the contractor’s malpractice, forced the halt of construction. They have demanded a high-level inquiry and strict action against the contractor from the government and the Chief Minister. The people have also sought the intervention of local MLA and Cabinet Minister Atul Bora in this matter.
It may be mentioned that during last year’s floods, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma personally visited flood-hit Bongkwal and promised the repair of the main road of the area. In keeping with that promise, the Assam Government sanctioned nearly Rs 9 crore for the repair of the 8.35 km-long Bongkwal–Komargaon National Highway connecting road. However, due to the contractor’s malpractice, the road project, which was meant to serve the crucial transportation needs of the flood-ravaged area, has turned into a boomerang.
The locals have demanded a proper inquiry into the matter.
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