Repair of roads crippled by nexus of corruption

Beanibazar: The relevant implementing agencies and contractors must bear responsibility for losses of Tk 3-5 crore resulting from irregularities, corruption and poor standard of repair works carried out on highways and roads in the upazila in recent months, reports UNB.

Conditions in some places lapsed to their previous state within days of repair work being completed.

As a result, locals have failed to gain any benefit out of the repair initiative, for which they plainly point their finger at the nexus between the implementing agency and those contracted to do the repairs, in each case.

At least 10 roads of the upazila underwent repairs recently, divided between the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

They included the Sylhet-Beanibazar-Boraigram regional highway implemented under the RHD; the Kosba Triangular Bazaar Road within the municipality, the Beanibazar-Chandarpur road, and the Beanibazar-Muradganj road, all under LGED.

The authorities estimated the total cost of the repairs to be in the region of Tk 32 crore for implementation by the RHD and LGED, under the supervision of their respective ministries.

Yet once the money was allocated, a festival of looting commenced around these projects.

The RHD’s repair works on the Sylhet-Beanibazar-Boraigram regional highway should have started from its Alinagar portion, but it clearly did not. On a spot visit, the UNB correspondent came across extensive breakage and numerous potholes on the surface of the road starting from Ramdha bazaar, in Charkhai bazaar, the front side of Dubag bridge, Kakordia, and all along the road from Khasa primary school to Boraigram.

Locals were found unable to use the road due to its severely damaged condition, instead seeking out alternative routes to get to their destinations.

S.M Zakaria, an official of RHD, was quick to blame the heavy rainfall in the area since onset of monsoon, lamenting that the weather had been particularly damaging to RHD projects.

He denied allegations of widespread irregularities on the part of RHD in carrying out their work.

“We tried everything we could to get the maximum output from the contractors,” Zakaria insisted.

Sheikh Monirul Islam, executive engineer of Sylhet, estimated a loss of Tk 1.5 crore arising out of RHD’s poor show.

Work to repair the Beanibazar-Kosba Triangular Bazaar road was completed under the LGED nearly six months ago. Yet barely a fortnight had passed, before a number of deep potholes started appearing on the surface.

Apart from that, severe breakage appeared in at least 7 points of the road, rendering it more-or-less unfit for communication.

The same story was repeated on the Beanibazar-Muradnagar road, where repair works ended some three months ago. Barely a month after completion though, potholes both big and small started appearing along ten different spots on the road. With each passing day, these holes get bigger, and the road gets less usable.

It is alleged that the contractor deliberately used below-standard bitumen in the process of repairing the road, leading to the rapid breakage that set in just a month later.

The Tk 36.71 lakh contract for the repair works was awarded to a Messrs. Zillur Rahman Enterprise of Sylhet. The Beanibazar-Kosba Triangular repair project had also gone to the same contractor, according to the upazila LGED office. Talking to UNB, the owner of the firm Zillur Rahman said “Whether true or not, people always assume contractors are corrupt, so it’s meaningless to refute them.”

However, he gave his assurances that his firm would redo the repairs on the Kosba project wherever it is damaged.

The Beanibazar-Chandarpur road was also repaired under LGED. Stakeholders estimate a loss of Tk 1 crore for the exchequer resulting from the botched repair project. Locals can’t use the road beyond the entrance to College Road.

Ramendra Houm Choudhury, Beanibazar upazila engineer, said the Muradnagar road will be repaired by the contractor when they return to working on its unfinished last 0.5km.

The engineer also trusts Zillur Rahman Enterprise to repair damage to the Kasba road. “Failing to do so, their security deposit will be seized,” he added, sounding rather tougher than Beanibazar’s experience suggests.

 

Repair of roads crippled by nexus of corruption

Beanibazar: The relevant implementing agencies and contractors must bear responsibility for losses of Tk 3-5 crore resulting from irregularities, corruption and poor standard of repair works carried out on highways and roads in the upazila in recent months, reports UNB. Conditions in some places lapsed to their previous state within days of repair work being completed. As a result, locals have failed to gain any benefit out of the repair initiative, for which they plainly point their finger at the nexus between the implementing agency and those contracted to do the repairs, in each case. At least 10 roads of the upazila underwent repairs recently, divided between the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). They included the Sylhet-Beanibazar-Boraigram regional highway implemented under the RHD; the Kosba Triangular Bazaar Road within the municipality, the Beanibazar-Chandarpur road, and the Beanibazar-Muradganj road, all under LGED. The authorities estimated the total cost of the repairs to be in the region of Tk 32 crore for implementation by the RHD and LGED, under the supervision of their respective ministries. Yet once the money was allocated, a festival of looting commenced around these projects. The RHDs repair works on the Sylhet-Beanibazar-Boraigram regional highway should have started from its Alinagar portion, but it clearly did not. On a spot visit, the UNB correspondent came across extensive breakage and numerous potholes on the surface of the road starting from Ramdha bazaar, in Charkhai bazaar, the front side of Dubag bridge, Kakordia, and all along the road from Khasa primary school to Boraigram. Locals were found unable to use the road due to its severely damaged condition, instead seeking out alternative routes to get to their destinations. S.M Zakaria, an official of RHD, was quick to blame the heavy rainfall in the area since onset of monsoon, lamenting that the weather had been particularly damaging to RHD projects. He denied allegations of widespread irregularities on the part of RHD in carrying out their work. We tried everything we could to get the maximum output from the contractors, Zakaria insisted. Sheikh Monirul Islam, executive engineer of Sylhet, estimated a loss of Tk 1.5 crore arising out of RHDs poor show. Work to repair the Beanibazar-Kosba Triangular Bazaar road was completed under the LGED nearly six months ago. Yet barely a fortnight had passed, before a number of deep potholes started appearing on the surface. Apart from that, severe breakage appeared in at least 7 points of the road, rendering it more-or-less unfit for communication. The same story was repeated on the Beanibazar-Muradnagar road, where repair works ended some three months ago. Barely a month after completion though, potholes both big and small started appearing along ten different spots on the road. With each passing day, these holes get bigger, and the road gets less usable. It is alleged that the contractor deliberately used below-standard bitumen in the process of repairing the road, leading to the rapid breakage that set in just a month later. The Tk 36.71 lakh contract for the repair works was awarded to a Messrs. Zillur Rahman Enterprise of Sylhet. The Beanibazar-Kosba Triangular repair project had also gone to the same contractor, according to the upazila LGED office. Talking to UNB, the owner of the firm Zillur Rahman said Whether true or not, people always assume contractors are corrupt, so its meaningless to refute them. However, he gave his assurances that his firm would redo the repairs on the Kosba project wherever it is damaged. The Beanibazar-Chandarpur road was also repaired under LGED. Stakeholders estimate a loss of Tk 1 crore for the exchequer resulting from the botched repair project. Locals cant use the road beyond the entrance to College Road. Ramendra Houm Choudhury, Beanibazar upazila engineer, said the Muradnagar road will be repaired by the contractor when they return to working on its unfinished last 0.5km. The engineer also trusts Zillur Rahman Enterprise to repair damage to the Kasba road. Failing to do so, their security deposit will be seized, he added, sounding rather tougher than Beanibazars experience suggests.