Alipurduar, Oct. 23: Villagers under the Rangalibazna gram panchayat of Birpara-Madarihat block have forcibly stopped the construction of a 6-km stretch of road in their area after complaining to the authorities for days that the contractor was using poor quality material.

The road is being built under the Pradhan Mantri’s Gram Sadak Rojgar Yojna at a place located around 60 km from here. The project began last year and Rs 1.23 crore has already been sanctioned for it.

Today, a scuffle broke out between the villagers and the contractor’s workmen when the latter tried to carry on with the construction work. Two villagers got injured in the melee. Tempers were running high when a police force arrived at the spot and defused the situation.

Police have asked the contractor to stop work until an inquiry is held.

“From the very beginning, we have been complaining to different officials (about the quality of material used by the contractor), but no action was taken,” said Mustafa Rahman, a member of the core committee of the project.

“Fifteen days ago, an engineer from the Jalpaiguri zilla parishad came and inspected the work and told us that the material that had been used was of very poor quality,” he added.

“Yet, after all this, the contractor, having hired some workers from outside, came here this morning and tried to start the work. When we stopped them, the contractor threatened us and an altercation broke out. Two villagers got injured,” said Rahman.

“We have sent a complaint to the subdivisional officer,” the core committee member added.

The Alipurduar subdivisional officer, P.D. Pradhan, said: “I have received the complaint and have instructed the block development officer of Madarihat-Birpara to send his technical hand for an inquiry. I have also asked the officials of the zilla parishad to take action against the contractor if the material are found to be of poor quality.”