Deha/Shimla– Tired of poor quality of road construction and metaling work, villagers of Ghodna and Bagri Panchayat in district Shimla questioned the intention of the HP Public Work Department.
Villages claimed that eight kilometers long Deha-Kargolinala road, passes through Ghodna and Bagri panchayat in Deha Sub-Tehsil of district Shimla, are being poorly constructed.
Villages claimed that they have complained officially and verbally about the poor quality of road construction with the HPPWD, but despite that department has failed to take any action against erring contractor.
After failing heard by the HPPWD, villages also submitted a written plea to the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, during his recent visit to the region, but received no response. So, anger grew among people and they took the tough way to make their grievance heard.
Affecting locals have uploaded videos on their Social media account. In one of the video angry locals besieged HPPWD officers including the SDO and questioned them on camera. The officials were so embarrassed and bewildered on being question by enraged public that he shut himself inside his vehicle to escape the fury of people.
Angered locals alleged that the tarring work came off after just 15 days. The gravel is loose and potholes are in making. People, on camera, stopped SDO’s car and asked direct questions like how it was passed by the department when poor quality work is clearly visible. The officials were literally taken aback watching the anger growing among people and tried to drive away. However, people blocked the road and, very firmly, told the officials that they won’t let them move until they answer their questions.
“The work on the road was completed yesterday and immediately after that contractor has started patching work on it, which is deplorable,” said Shalender Chauhan, a local.
Another local Babloo Thakur raised question over the working of the government and vowed to expose the truth.
An official, on condition of maintaining anonymity, admitted that the temperature has dipped below suitable degree for metaling. Still, the contractor is carrying out tarring work, which certainly put working of department under suspicion.
The video not only suggest apparent nexus between private contractor and HPPWD department which facilitate corruption for personal profit. Surprisingly, the contractor is a native of the same region, but still he isn’t interested to facilitate his own locality.
The road, being constructed at cost of 3.87 crore, is very critical considering the fact that it can cut a considerable share of traffic on narrow Sainj-Deha road, which is also in tatters, and has become accident prone.
A few days ago, The News Himachal had highlighted torturous road condition in Chopal constituency of district Shimla. Sainj-Deha-Chopal road, recently declared a State Highway, is in ruins like Rohru-Hatkoti and most of upper-hill roads. Every season apple growers face losses as transportation has become a gigantic challenge for the growers. But now this unrest seems to have found a vent and people are mustering courage to boldly warn the government agents to take responsibility.
