Tk 11cr road repair work stalled amid protest
Amid locals' protest against low quality work, the authorities have stopped the work for repair and widening of Chhatak-Doarabazar road in Sunamganj.
Tender was called for widening the 14-kilometre Chhatak-Doarabazar road (from existing 12 feet to 18 feet) in July last year and Sohel Mia, proprietor of Yunus A-Brothers in Sylhet, started the work under a Tk 10.64 crore work order in mid-October. Most of the work has already been done.
“Seeing the nature of the work, it seems the road will not last even a year. The road work should be done with three-inch sand and three-inch stone, but the contractor applied four-inch sand and one-inch stone. And the compacting work should be done with 8-inch stone, but it is being done with two to three inch stone,” said Gurudas Dey, a resident of Khamarpotti area in Doarabazar upazila.
Abul Mia of Nanegaon in the same upazila said carpeting is supposed to be 40-milimetre-thick but it is 16 to 17 millimetres. Although half-inch stones are supposed to be used in the carpeting, low quality smaller stones are being used.
As locals raised serious protest against the matter, Doarabazar Upazila Parishad Chairman Idris Ali Bir Pratik informed the executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) about the work on Tuesday.
“We cannot allow such low quality work. And so, the work has been closed,” said Idris Ali.
Shafiqul Islam, executive engineer of RHD in Sunamganj, said, “Following allegations, I have asked for stopping the work. I will take decision after visiting.”
Contractor Sohel Mia said, “The tender was for road widening. Later, repair work of the middle part of the road was included as it was damaged due to the flood in March this year. But the allocation for the work has not been increased.”
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