Balangir, Sept. 6: Residents of Balangir are facing a lot of difficulties, as several roads in the town remain incomplete even after repair work on them began some seven months ago.

Rain has further compounded the problem. Only 25 per cent of the work has been done.

Officials of the public works department (PWD), which has taken up the repair work, blamed the contractor for the delay. PWD sources said the Balangir Municipality had handed over 22 roads in different localities of the town for renovation. Renovation of some the roads is already complete. The department took up work on 10 roads this year. Of these, it was decided that five would be black topped while the other five would be concretised.

Accordingly, the department called for an e-tender and a Mumbai-based construction company, Streamline Infra Private Limited, was selected. An agreement was signed between the works department and the company on November 19 last year to complete the work within a year. However, after seven months of the work starting, only six roads are being repaired and work on four roads is yet to begin. Only 25 per cent of the work has been done so far.

“The PWD is taking up work on the 1.1km road in our locality and I had high hopes. But the contractor is taking an unusually long time to complete the work. Local residents are facing a lot of difficulties as heaps of construction materials lie piled up on the road. We have drawn the attention of the public works department, but to no avail,” said Rabi Sahu of Malpada.

“It has been a long time since work on the road began in our locality. But only 25 per cent of the work has been done. Moreover, the quality of work is very poor. The road turns into mini pools whenever there is a downpour. We are facing a lot of inconvenience,” said a local resident.