Meghalaya: Sub-standard work of Rongkhon Songgital and Asibra road in Tura irks groups; CSOs seek probe

The government’s relentless push for development in the far flung areas of Meghalaya still seems to be a farcry. Substandard work in construction of the road between Rongkhon Songgital and Asibra at Tura in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills has irked several groups.

Unhappy over the state of affairs the A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO) and Federation of A·chik Freedom (FAF) have written to the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills regarding the matter. Both the organisations claimed that the works done by the contractor was of really low quality.

The NGOs stated that they had been approached by the development committees of the various villages using the road of extremely poor construction work.

The NGOs added that when they went to visit the site of the project, they found that the project had not been done according to DPR and would hardly last a year.

AYWO president Sengbath Marak said,“He (contractor) has not executed the project diligently and this is not acceptable. The road has not only suffered from negligence but from the looks of it, has been done to execute corruption. The villagers had even asked him to work diligently on the road but he paid no heed to them.”

According to the AYWO and FAF, there were many shortcomings in the project as a stone masonry wall was supposed to have been constructed but is missing. Further drainage of 1509 kms was manipulated and shortened while also not being executed properly.

“The above mentioned road can only be used for a period of a year due to its poor construction quality. We are apprehensive that the GSB, first and second coating have also been manipulated with while the final carpeting is not of the thickness mentioned in the DPR,” added Marak.

In their complaint to the DC, the NGOs have sought an immediate inquiry into the matter as well as the blacklisting of the contractor for the shoddy work. Further they also asked for the ‘siphoned’ money to be recovered and the work redone as well as action against the supervisor of the project for passing such sub standard work.