College Chowk Action Committee members demonstrate against poor-quality road construction in Balangir on Thursday. Telegraph picture

Balangir, Sept. 13: Led by the College Chowk Action Committee, residents of Rajendrapada and Rajendra College Chowk here have demanded a crime branch inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the construction of a 1.5-km road that passes through their area.

The important thoroughfare connects Rajendra College with Government Women’s College, Balangir.

Constructed for Rs 50 lakh by rural works department, the road was opened for public use a couple of months ago, However, it has been washed away in the rain that followed.

To press for their probe demand, the action committee yesterday staged a blockade for over two hours at Rajendra College Chowk on the Balangir-Patnagarh road.

Officials of the rural works department admitted the charge of sub-standard construction work and said that action would be initiated against the contractor.

The repair and improvement of the road from Women’s College Chowk to Rajendra College Chowk through Rajendrapada locality, which began in November last year took a long time for completion. As the road repair continued, the residents were compelled to take an alternative route to reach their destinations. For nearly eight months, residents of Palaceline, Sagarpada and Officers’ Colony in wards 20 and 21 faced difficulties to go to Rajendra College, Shantipada, Chandrasekhar Nagar and other places as the road had been closed because of the construction.

“We faced a lot of inconvenience in travelling from our home to other places when the road was under construction. We were expecting a proper road which would last for a few years. But the work was so bad that it got washed away in the first monsoon rain leaving potholes all around,” said Saroj Mahapatra, a resident of Rajendrapada.

Manas Ranjan Pradhan of the action committee demanded action against the guilty officials and the contractor.

“The road was black topped when it opened for public use two months ago, but work has been so bad that now it has converted into a kaccha road. We want the crime branch to probe into the irregularities and punish guilty officials and contractors,” Pradhan said.

“We are taking strong note of the complaint and we will take stringent action against the contractor who had constructed the road. We will reconstruct the road after rain is over,” said executive engineer of rural works division, Balangir, Bibhundra Meher.

“Our projects are usually in the rural areas. This is the only road that we have in the urban area. As rural roads are usually estimated at a lower cost, a difference in quality happened,” he said.