Road carpeting damaged within days of repair
Carpeting got damaged and potholes have developed only a few days after completion of the work on one-km-long Bishnathpur-Gouripur road in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar.
Following tender, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) gave Tk 45 lakh work order to contractor Noman Ahmed for the carpeting of the road and he started the work on November 28, 2017, LGED sources said.
As per schedule, May 25, 2018, was the deadline for completion of the work but the contractor failed to do the work in time.
Later contractor Kamal Hosain got work order for the 196-metre portion at the end of the road at Gauripur and completed the work in four days from last October 10 to 13.
But the carpeting has already started getting removed due to use of cheap bitumen, locals said, adding that the carpeting was done with 10 to 15 millimetres of thickness instead of scheduled 25 millimetres.
“The contractor threatened us when we protested it,” said a local.
“This road is already getting damaged in such a way that it is not suitable for pedestrians, let alone vehicles. Re-carpeting of the main road and adjoining other lanes is essential to mitigate sufferings of thousands of people of Bishnathpur and Gouripur, including school and college students,” said Jasim Uddin, a resident of Bishnathpur.
Hazi Masum Reza, chairman of Zaifarnagar Union Parishad, said he visited the road and found the allegation true.
Later, he raised the issue at the monthly law and order meeting of the upazila parishad.
Engineer Kamruzzaman, president of Kulaura upazila unit of Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, said such damage to road carpeting is caused due to fault in work, including use of low grade materials.
This correspondent tried several times to get contractor Kamal Hossain on his mobile for his version but he did not receive the calls.
Zakir Hossain Khan, sub assistant engineer of Juri upazila LGED, claimed that the work was done according to the procedure.
“As per schedule, the thickness of the road carpeting was to be 25 millimetres. However, it may be a bit more or less at one or two places,” he added.
MA Moid Faruk, chairman of Juri Upazila Parishad, said, “After receiving complaints from locals, I visited the road and found irregularities in the work. We will call a meeting of the upazila parishad and ask the contractor to do the work again as per schedule.”
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