STATE TIMES NEWS
POUNI : A strong protest was held by the residents of villages Shaktinagar, Kailakh and Bandrai under the leadership of Harjeet Singh, PDP Block Vice President Pouni against the PWD authorities for carrying out poor road work by using sub-standard material due to which the road has been badly damaged within almost one month of its completion.
According to the protesters the most sub standard material used by the contractor for repair and laying pre-mix carpet on Shakti Nagar – Bandrai Road in village Bharakh, Block Pouni a month back was eroded with the treading of vehicles immediately after completion.
The matter was brought to the notice of District Development Commissioner (DDC) Reasi Ravinder Kumar by a deputation of villagers led by Harjeet Singh upon which the DDC asked XEn to visit the site and submit report.
Though the XEn did not meet the deputation yet the road was repaired but only as an eye wash.
Now the road has been badly damaged with a shower of rain and the pre-mix carpet as also the metal laid beneath it to fill the pot holes, have been washed away causing water logging on the road.
The correct picture of the work done by the contractor under the supervision of JE Rakesh Sahni and other departmental engineers before and after the specific instructions of DDC, has now come to fore which obviously would warrant investigation through vigilance sleuths to check and take samples of the material used on this road.
Harjeet Singh said that illiterate and innocent villagers in the remote areas do not come forward to point out the defects or failures on the part of working agencies in carrying out the developmental works due which the government funds are siphoned off and the people continue to suffer.
The protesters appealed to the DDC Reasi to order an inquiry into repair and premix work on Shaktinagar- Bandrai Road which got badly damaged almost within one month’s period of its completion.
Prominent among others present in the protest include Kehar Singh President Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Gian Chand, Bhagwan Dass, Inder Singh, Bachinter Singh, Gian Singh, Deedar Singh, Ved Parkash and Seva Singh.