Caved-in road not restored, Chandigarh MC suspends junior engineer

A junior engineer (JE) of the Municipal Corporation has been suspended for negligence and dereliction of duty after a cave-in at the Sector 20/30 roundabout was not restored in time.

In the suspension order issued today, the MC Chief Engineer stated that following a cave-in at the Sector 20/30 roundabout, Anwar Rahi, JE (Public Health), failed to get the road restored despite repeated instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) circulated by this office. The cave-in caused severe traffic disruption and posed serious threat to public safety and human life.

The order read, “It is a gross negligence and dereliction of duty on the part of the officer. Pending inquiry into the matter and in exercise of powers conferred under Rule 10 of the Rules, the JE (Public Health) is placed under suspension with immediate effect.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Engineer has issued directions to all Executive Engineers to immediately start restoration measures of damaged roads. The Chief Engineer said instances of road settlement or cave-in at various locations within the municipal limits were either not being reported timely or were not being restored promptly, which is leading to serious public inconvenience and potential safety risks.

The Chief Engineer has also directed them to monitor the situation continuously and submit fortnightly reports regarding such occurrences and the remedial action taken.