Newly renovated road damaged

Carpeting of newly constructed Burirhat-Mahishkhocha road in Aditmari upazila started getting damaged before official handing over to the authorities concerned.

It is scheduled to hand over the road to the authorities concerned on October 30, said Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) officials.

Locals blamed LGED contractor and officials for their alleged negligence in the construction work of the 5.08 km road.

The road is in awful state as substandard materials are being used in the construction work, they alleged.

Contractor Abdul Hakim got the work order of Tk 2.65 crore and started the construction work of the road under LGED in January this year.

Five percent of the construction work is yet to be completed but Tk 2.56 crore was given to the contractor, said Lalmonirhat LGED Executive Engineer Ashraf Ali Khan.

Nazir Ali, a resident of Burirhat village, said due to use of low-quality bricks and brick chips in the construction work, the carpeting wore away at many points of the road.

As the road got damaged, it has become almost unusable for vehicular movement, he said.

“We protested strongly against use of substandard materials, but LGED engineer didn’t pay heed,” said Nazir, adding that even they received threat from the contractor’s men.

Meanwhile, 400-metre-long RCC (Rod Cement Concrete) of 500 metre RCC at the road is yet to be completed, said Abdus Samad of Mahishkhocha village.

Contacted, LGED contractor Hakim said he is not aware of the road as local contractor Daud Ali Sarker is constructing the road using his licence.

Contractor Daud Ali said standard materials are being used in the construction work.

“Despite the use of standard materials if the road gets damaged, I will repair it,” he said.

Daud also refuted the allegation of threat brought against him by locals.

Upazila LGED Engineer Aminur Rahman said the contractor concerned will be responsible for any kind of negligence in the construction work of the road.

Executive Engineer Ashraf Ali said as he is new here, so he does not know details of the construction of the road.

“I will take departmental action if any negligence is found in the construction work,” he said.

Locals urged the authorities concerned to conduct investigation using substandard materials in the construction work of the road and take action in this regard.