Home ›› 27 Jan 2023 ›› Nation
Residents of Khulna’s Koyra upazila are suffering due to a long-term delay in the carpeting of 2.15 km of roads in Deyara and Khirol areas.
Over a year and a half has passed since the scheduled time of completion, however, only 30 per cent of the work has been completed.
The concerned department sent several notices to the contractors in this regard, however, they claimed to struggle to cope with the increased prices of construction materials when the concerned department.
According to Koyra upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the carpeting work of 1,270 metres from RNDS Deyara (Harun Gazir Morr) to Ronbagh UZR in Koyra union and 883 meters from Khirol BC to Bejpara BC Road in Amadi union of the upazila started on February 24, 2019.
The estimated cost of construction was Tk 2,28,89,627 and the completion term was by May 23, 2021. However, to this date, only 30 per cent work of the Deyara Road and 50 per cent of Khirol Road have been completed.
Under the Khulna Division Rural Infrastructure Development Project (KDRIDP) project the contractor company M/s A Samad Traders was entrusted with the construction.
Ismail Gazi, a local resident, said, “The previous brick-paved road was better than having to travel through this rubble. We have to carry everything by hand since vans cannot ply this road without damaging the tires.”
Another resident Arshad Gazi said only recently sand was laid on the road and before that, it was left only filled with rubble for a year. “The road gets submerged if it rains and becomes unsuitable for travel.”
The residents claim that the contractors occasionally work for a day or two. They demand the concerned authority urge the contractor to complete the construction as soon as possible.
Ohiduzzaman Babu, the contractor of the work, said they are struggling to cope with the price hike of construction materials. “The work is still in progress. I am trying to complete the construction despite facing losses due to extra cost.”
Local UP member Abdul Mannan said the construction was left half done for a long time. “If urged, the contractor comes and does nominal work for a few days and then stops again. The locals have been suffering for a long time due to this.”
Muhammad Darul Huda, LGED upazila engineer said, “The project term expired before I joined the office here. As per my knowledge, the sub-base work was done on both roads but it was washed out by natural disasters.”
He added that the contractor company has been given show cause notice several times in this regard. “They have started the work again after dillydallying for a while. Water-bound macadam pavement is being laid on the Khirol road and they are also redoing the sub-base of the Deyara road,” he further added.
Darul also said that the project term has not been extended. “Depending on if the time schedule is extended or not the contractor will be billed as per the rules for exceeding the term expiry date.”
AKM Anisuzzaman, the Executive Engineer of Khulna District LGED, said he has contacted the contractor regarding the incomplete road construction. “The contractor has assured me that the work would be completed by March.”
