People stop road construction for alleged quality compromise

According to the specifications given in the work order, the GSB (Granular Sub Base) thickness of the road should not be less than six inches and the width the road should be six metres. The local people, however, allege that both these specifications are grossly violated while constructing the road.

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, January 28: The local people, who are users of Ghogua Road in Sopur on the outskirts of Guwahati, had had to write to the government as many as 30 times in the past 32 years just to get the road constructed by the state PWD. At last when the works of the road started with the laying of its foundation stone by local MLA Akon Bora on December 5, 2014, the local people had to stop the work that is being done  showing blithe disregard for the specifications stated in the work order.

The over Rs 70–lakh work of the road is done by PWD’s Guwahati East Division. The local people stopped the work and called a meeting at Sopur on February 2 next when the SDO of the PWD division concerned, the engineer and the contractor are supposed to remain present. The local people are determined not to allow the construction of the road unless the contractor meets the specifications of the work order.

According to the specifications given in the work order, the GSB (Granular Sub Base) thickness of the road should not be less than six inches and the width the road should be six metres. The local people, however, allege that both these specifications are grossly violated while constructing the road. “We won’t allow the contractor to go ahead with the construction of the road without meeting the specifications as laid down in the work order,” the local people said.

The contractor who got the work order is Dhaneswar Kalita and the work of the road is supervised by sectiol officer Prabin Talukdar and section assistant Karu Pathak. “The trio – Kalita, Talukdar and Pathak – have been doing the work showing blithe disregard for the specifications given in the work order so as to spend less. This, however, will make the durability of the road much less,” the local people said, and added: “We’re not going to allow the resumption of work of the road if the specifications given in the work order are not complied with.”

According to the local people, the sectiol officer has been in PWD’s Honhora division for the  past nine years with blessings of the local MLA.