| PWD violates work order; blacktops 2 lanes, leaves another untouched | | AEE says work to be handed over to JMC, locals allege officials, contractors nexus | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 5: Public Works (R&B) Department (PWD) has carried out blacktopping of two lanes in a same ward here but has dropped one lane in the vicinity despite work order being allotted for repairing all the lanes.
To put a lid over the controversy the department is claiming that the leftover work will be carried out by Jammu Municipal Corporation, locals have claimed.
According to the work order in possession of Early Times the repair works had to be carried out at Nagbani Machallian, Gajaysingh Pura road, Patoli Brahmana and allied link roads. All these lanes fall in ward no. 65 and are in the same area.
Locals said that around 400 meters stretch of road at Nagbani Machallian and Gajaysingh Pura road has not been blacktopped by the department despite the work order clearly mentioning that all the lanes have to be blacktopped. “Other works of road stretch mentioned in the order, have been completed, but the work on the said stretch has not started yet,” they said. Sources said that the department has dropped the work claiming that the road stretch already exists and it’s not a new road, only pot holes need to be filled and repaired.
“We took up the matter with, concerned Executive Engineer, who issued the work orders and his subordinate staff are not acting appropriately”, they residents claimed.
Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) construction Division No III, Balbir Singh when contacted said, “I’m not aware of this work so I cannot comment on it.”
However, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), SubDivision Marh, Shamas-u-din said that fresh tenders for the said works would be invited soon. “The process of handing over some roads to Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) is going on, and when the process is completed, the fresh tender will be invited for the works”, he said.
The AEE said, “The works have been dropped due to technical reasons, the area where the road had to be blacktopped is very narrow, and it’s difficult for the department to take a paver machine there.”
“The blacktopping work of the road will be done manually”, he added.
Contradicting the claims of AEE claims that pending works will be handed over to Jammu Municipal Corporation the residents said that two more roads in the area, under the same work order have been repaired. “We offered to provide all support to the department i.e. cleaning road, safe passage of machinery, but the AEE rejected our offer”, they said and alleged, “It clearly shows that there is some nexus between the department and the contractors. They want to siphon the funds and their claim that work will be carried out by the JMC is just a drama.”
The work was allotted to M/s Jai Maa Sukrala Road and builders in March this year. |
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