Bilaspur:- A shocking case of corruption has come to light in Gram Panchayat Chilahati of Masturi development block of the district. The CC road built at a cost of lakhs has now disappeared, as if it was never built. The villagers are struggling with this problem, while the officials and the Sarpanch are busy blaming each other. Despite spending lakhs of rupees in the name of roads in this village, now the villagers have to walk on bad roads in the swamp.
Corruption game?
Sarpanch and officials say that the road got damaged due to heavy vehicles passing through the market. SDO Amit Banjare claimed that the quality of the 500-600 meter long road, built at a cost of Rs 12 to 15 lakh, was checked at the time of construction and was found to be fine. But now the condition of the road is as if the road was never built. Sub Engineer Abhishek Bhardwaj says that the road got damaged due to the movement of heavy vehicles from the paddy market.
Villager Suresh Yadav alleged that a huge scam had taken place in road construction with the connivance of the Sarpanch and officials. Not only was the road built for a shorter distance than the proposed length, but the road that was built was also made with substandard material. Villagers say that the road started crumbling just a few months after its construction, which is a clear indication of the use of substandard material.
Why were heavy vehicles not taken care of from the market?
The villagers argue that when it was already known that heavy vehicles of the market would pass through this road, then why was it not made sustainable at the time of construction. Now the administration and the Sarpanch claiming that the road broke due to heavy vehicles is just an attempt to shirk their responsibility.
Defense of Sarpanch and officials
In this matter, SDO Amit Banjare said that the quality of the road was good at the time of construction, but it did not get time to mature. The question now arises that if the road was not built properly, then how was its quality checked? The villagers have demanded from the administration that this entire matter should be investigated impartially and strict action should be taken against the culprits. Until the culprits are punished, this type of corruption will continue. The Sarpanch has now demanded the Mandi Committee to get the road rebuilt, but the question is whether this will actually happen or will it remain just another promise?
Tags: Bilaspur news, Chhattisgarh news, Local18
FIRST PUBLISHED: October 18, 2024, 14:44 IST