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Ludhiana | Roads wearing away within days of construction, vigilance probe sought
RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal has submitted a complaint with the chief secretary and state vigilance department seeking a probe into the matter, after the road material at recently carpeted Pakhowal Road started wearing off on Thursday; residents also complained that poor quality material had been used to build the roads, which was leading to roads wearing away within days
At a time when the fund-starved municipal corporation has decided to avail a ₹100-crore loan for taking up developmental works ahead of the assembly elections, residents have complained that poor quality material had been used to build the roads, which was wearing away within days.
Slamming the municipal corporation for failing to keep a check on the quality of material, shopkeepers on the Dugri main road complained that the road material had started peeling off a day after the road was carpeted in cold weather conditions during the night.
Meanwhile, RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal has submitted a complaint with the chief secretary and state vigilance department seeking a probe into the matter, after the road material at recently carpeted Pakhowal Road started wearing off on Thursday.
While the civic body is in-charge of construction work on Dugri Road, the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) has built the Pakhowal Road. Slamming authorities for not keeping a check on quality, residents demanded that action be taken against the contractors and the officials concerned, who have failed to perform their duty.
A shopkeeper, Sanjay Lalit, said, “We have been raising hue and cry over the potholed roads for a long time, and the main road had been repaired after six long years, only for the material to wear way in no time. The project cost around ₹4 crore and it is a shame that the authorities did not check the quality of work. The money has been wasted and residents have not gotten any relief.”
Lalit suspects that carpeting the road in the cold was responsible for the quick wearing away.
Locals have also flagged poor quality road construction work at Old GT Road, Kitchlu Nagar, and Model Town-Jawaddi Road among other areas.
Sabharwal says that hard-earned money of the public is wasted in the crores when authorities pay no mind to the quality of work taking place. Several complaints have been submitted by residents from different areas of the city, but to no avail.
“The vigilance department should conduct an inquiry into the matter. The contractor should not be paid until the authorities are satisfied with the work. Action should be taken against the officials concerned, who have failed at their duty,” he said.
LIT superintending engineer Buta Ram said that after receiving the complaint a team had sent to inspect Pakhowal Road. “If any anomalies are found in the construction work, required action will be taken against the contractor,” he said.
Despite attempts to reach MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, he remained unavailable for comment. Earlier, Sabharwal said that a third party had been appointed to check the quality of developmental works. Further, directions have already been issued to the officials at the bridges and roads department of the municipal corporation to stop payment to the contractor, if the quality of work is not up to the mark.
