Sirajganj people suffer for road work suspension

SIRAJGANJ, Mar 16: The construction of a 740-metre link road in Belkuchi Upazila of the district has been suspended for the last one year.

Thousands of people are facing communication problems in the upazilas different areas including Gopalpur, Mituani, Charmituani, Raipura and Madhyamituani villages.

Locals said, about 50,000 people of these villages are suffering communication problems. Locals are facing troubles in transporting their agri-items. They demanded finishing the road construction immediately.
Contractor of the project complained, he is not getting letter of permission to re-start the work from the additional chief engineer office of Local Government Engineering & Development (LGED)-Rajshahi Division.
 
According to sources, the construction of the road from Dhukuria Berah Union Parishad Office to Moubupur Kheyaghat via Talukdar Mitin Haat in the upazila began at Tk 1.25 crore in 2020-21 financial year. The work was supposed to be completed in 2022.

The contractor dug side soil of the road. But the LGED office objected to the soil digging by creating holes and asked the contractor to fill the holes. He was asked to bring soil from distant areas of the road. He was given six months to correct his mistake.

According to the rules, it needs letter of permission from the divisional additional chief engineer to start the next phase of the work. But he didn get the permission even after six months. The contractor tried repeatedly for getting the permission.

A dweller of Charmituani Village Abu Taleb Master, 70, said, people were delighted to have the road constructed, but now the work has remained suspended.

Dhukuria Berah Union Parishad Member Saiful Islam said, "If the road is completed immediately, thousands of people will get rid of communication sufferings.  

Contractor Nitish Chandra Bhadra said, "I have done all works according to the rules of the authorities. I have made cement pillars and CC blocks of about Tk 50 lakh. But after one year, I am not getting the permission to start the work from Additional Chief Engineer of Rajshahi Division KM Julfikar Ali. I went to his office several times. But on various causes, he is killing time. I don know why he has been making the dillydallying."

He further said, "I am working taking bank loan. Though the work is lying suspended, the bank interest is not stopping. Now all materials are set to get damaged. I have been in a condition of huge financial losses."

"If the work can be started soon, there will remain no option for me but to commit suicide," the contractor maintained.  

Additional Chief Engineer KM Julfikar Ali alleged, the contractor and few persons of the office concerned are responsible for the suspension of the work; he was asked not to cut soil from the proposed roadside; but the contractor acted on the contrary; due to its side soil digging, the road condition has been deplorable; he was asked to refill the dug holes; he did not do it; rather he informed us in written holes have been filled up; and later on, investigation found no truth of the earth-filling.

That is why the road construction has been suspended for a long time, the additional chief engineer maintained.