OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: Residents of the Batabari area in Dalgaon Assembly constituency have raised serious allegations of corruption and substandard construction in a major embankment protection project near the Sukajani river sluice gate, triggering widespread public outrage.
According to locals, the Water Resources Department had sanctioned approximately Rs 66 lakh for strengthening the embankment and installing boulders and blocks to protect the critical Sukajani sluice gate. The contractor reportedly completed the work only a few days ago, but the newly constructed structure has already begun collapsing.
Eyewitnesses claim that inferior quality materials were used in the boulder and block placement, allegedly due to gross negligence and profit-driven shortcuts by the contractor. Within days of completion, large sections of the protective blocks have dislodged, leaving the sluice gate — itself worth several lakhs — and the surrounding embankment highly vulnerable to flood and erosion damage.
Locals expressed deep anger over the wastage of public funds. “We are shocked that even after spending Rs 66 lakh, instead of solving the long-standing flood and erosion problems, the money has literally been washed away,” said one affected resident.
The public has strongly demanded a high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities. They have specifically called for strict action against the concerned contractor and the supervising engineer, questioning how such poor-quality work was approved and accepted despite the substantial budget.
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