Rayagada RD Deptt is in deep fraud
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, October 8: Office of Executive Engineer, RD Deptt, Rayagada is in knee deep corruption.
A road constructed from Perigaon to Hirsamuhin with Rs.37 lakhs sanction from District Mineral Fund(DMF) got badly damaged within a week of its completion.
According to the villagers, materials used for the road were of extremely low quality & also the work was left on half way. The upper thin crust of the bitumen used in the road had gone off. The lower crust having sharp boulders is exposed and poses dangers for all the commuters and all kind of vehicles. No stone metals have been used. As Fixed Road Level(FRL) is not maintained and there is faulty design, the road has become a death trap in the undulated hilly terrain.
Though the villagers complained to stall the low quality work, the contractor in connivance with the departmental engineers did not pay any heed, said a tribal villager named Jayaram Meleka & local teacher Gitanjali Bidika. Local Sarpanch Alemi Jakaka told this correspondent that in spite of several complains before the concerned authorities after the road was damaged, they cared a damn to listen to her. We have repeatedly tried to take opinions from the concerned engineer; but he avoided by saying that he had newly joined. The villagers have warned the RD department to act upon these irregularities or else shall be responsible in case of any untoward situation or accident.
The irregularities in the said department are in an increasing trend for which local denizens have expressed their resentment.
“Rayagada is a tribal district, which comes under Schedule-V area. Hirsamuhin is a homogeneous tribal villlage and a part of Rayagada Sadar block. State is spending crores of money for the development of tribal people as far as communication is concerned. Due to sheer administrative abuse, the benefits hardly percolate down. Perigaon-Hirsamuhin RD work is a stark example of lackadaisical & casual attitude of the authorities, who are responsible for the work. And this is the tip of the iceberg “, said Deepak Kumar Prusty, a senior scribe and Member of Society For Fast Justice(SFFJ), Rayagada.
It may be remembered that during the fag end of July, a bridge under construction at Uparsaja village under Sikarpai Gram Panchayat in Kalyan Singhpur block caved in killing five persons including four children. Unfortunately, the said work was executed by RD Deptt, Rayagada and three employees namely Executive Engineer, Asstt Executive Engineer and Asstt Engineer were suspended. They were never arrested for this heinous crime in spite of an FIR lodged by Sikarpai Sarpanch and now are scot free. Anguished over the issue, SFFJ has moved to court of law and appealed to arrest those tainted officials and recover Rs.20 lakhs compensation from the salaries of the officials paid by Govt to the next kins of the deceased.
