Recently carpeted roads start peeling off

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, May 20

Apprehensions of the residents of Dugri Urban Estate, Phase III, over poor workmanship and use of substandard material for carpeting of internal roads adjoining to missing link-2, have come true as upper layer of the freshly laid roads have started peeling off within two months. In yet another complaint lodged with the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) authorities and the state government, the residents have demanded a vigilance probe into the ongoing carpeting of roads.

The Samaj Sudhar Sewa Society, a representative body of the residents, had not only alleged poor workmanship and use of substandard material by the contractor but also charged supervising officials and the field staff of GLADA with connivance in the wrongdoing.

In a complaint to the GLADA Chief Administrator and the Additional Chief Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, Sanjay Tiwari, vice-president of the society, has said the contractor was laying bitumen on the dirt track without compaction or preparing basic surface of stone metal. “The work of road construction is being carried out in a hurried and careless manner at the instance of the leaders of the ruling Congress who wanted to take credit for the project in the Lok Sabha elections,” the complaint said

A similar complaint was lodged earlier as well with the senior officials of GLADA and at that particular time, the work was temporarily halted and the contractor was directed to execute the work strictly as per specifications laid down in the detailed notice inviting tenders (DNIT) and the work order.

Information obtained by Tiwari from GLADA under the Right to Information Act revealed that the work of patchwork and road carpeting was allotted to a contractor, Sunil Kumar, at a cost of Rs 57,97,369 to be completed within four months.

The local residents had alleged in the earlier complaint also that the premix was being laid on a dirt track in gross violation of the stipulated specifications and not in conformity with the terms and conditions of the work order. “Our contention of poor workmanship and use of substandard material has been borne out from the fact that top surface of the roads carpeted in March this year has started peeling off and potholes are also visible at several places,” the residents maintained.

The officials of the engineering branch of GLADA said complaints about poor workmanship and deficiencies on the part of the contractor were received by them and at one stage, the contractor was directed to stop work. The field staff has been directed to inspect ongoing work and take necessary action to make sure that work is executed strictly as per specifications and terms and conditions of the work order, they said, adding that after the complaint lodged by the residents, no further payment against running bill was made in this case.