MLA sees red over poor road job in Wangoi AC
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 08 2022: While contending that the ongoing road development and bridge construction works in Wangoi assembly constituency taken up under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NA-BARD) lack quality control, Wangoi MLA Kh Loken said that departments concerned will be urged to look into the matter and take up necessary action against the defaulting contractors.

Kh Loken told media persons that District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is the implementing agency of the road development works with Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) while Public Works Department (PWD) is the monitoring agency.

In the past two days, relevant engineers of DRDA and PWD inspected various roads being developed under RIDF in Wangoi AC but some roads were found to lack requisite specification and guidelines.

When inspected, Laishram Mukta Road in Iramsiphai area was found lacking requisite specification.

The road not only flouted the specification for thickness and width but found to be carried out with out GSB while there were signs of lacking compaction and improper use of roller at many portions of the road, Loken said, adding that it was against rule that no information for development of the road was given to the monitoring department (PWD) .

According to MLA Loken, a total of 24 roads in Wangoi AC are being developed at a total cost of Rs 3,62,23,150 from RIDF but many were found to lack quality control in the first inspection and there is possibility of similar shortcomings for the other roads too.

He said that DRDA and PWD officials will be urged to inspect all the roads and higher authority will be approached not to release fund for roads which are lacking quality.

On Wednesday too, the Wangoi MLA, who is also the MGNREGS Imphal West chairman, inspected works being taken up at Irom Meijrao, Govindragram, Shamushang and Shantipur under MGNREGS in Imphal West district.

MLA Loken told media persons on the sidelines of the inspection that it would be waste of government money and hinder development if Gram Panchayats fail to include long lasting work programmes in their respective jurisdictions.

Though some works under MGNREGS scheme maintain quality, many others have flouted the project specification and as such the latter projects are unlikely to last long.

Further stating that there are many works which could not benefit the people, he stressed the need for a thorough look into non-beneficial works as such works would be waste of government money.

According to MLA Loken, many of the MGNREGS works he had inspected so far are not up to the mark as per the standard specification and guidelines.

Accordingly, relevant officials and implementing bodies have been directed to complete the works with strict adherence to quality control failing which there will be no payment of work bills.

He also contended that daily wage for a job card holder is Rs 251 but failure to show accountability on number of job card holders utilised for a particular work needs to be examined.

The MLA then suggested adopting an effective mechanism for precise identification of the job card holders in all the GPs of the district to save wastage of government money.

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