KNB News Desk
Srinagar 15 December (KNB): Locals in the Quil area of the Bandipora district are up against the officials who are passing the concrete slab as a culvert made under the MGNREGA scheme calling it a cruel joke. Officials, however, claim the culvert has been constructed.
“They dropped the concrete and that’s it. Where are outlets, no pipes run through it. It’s a joke,” locals of the area told news gathering agency KNB.
They said that it’s ironic that while the government is pushing in money for the betterment of the rural population, works like these are putting question marks on implementation agencies.
Questioning the work, locals alleged that if money had been withdrawn for the work, “where is the work”.
“It’s common sense now, if they have to create a culvert now, are they going to place pipes by sucking out earth beneath the concrete,” they said, adding that ‘as soon as they begin excavation concrete will fall.”
The locals said that the work for the construction of the road from Anwarabad upto H/o Md Akber Khan at Quil-A was taken up on 24th February of this year under the cost of around four lakhs.
“The work completed till now on the road is not in line with the amount of money drawn by the concerned officials for the construction of it,” said locals.
“We should not have a problem with how much money the officials have received for the construction of this road, but the little work on the road and the portion of money drawn till now on it is concerning, which needs to be properly vetted,” the locals said.
As per sources, the culvert, which locals are refusing to accept is the one, has cost around 1,80,000 rupees.
Talking to the concerned Block Development Officer Aloosa, Bashir Ahmad said that the project is still incomplete.
“Work of more than three lakh rupees has been done till now in the project and 2,02,000 rupees have been paid to workers so far. There seems to be no irregularities in the work,” he said.
The BDO said that there are no irregularities in the work and the culvert in question has been constructed.
“The final bill is yet to be made and the project is underway,” he said when asked if he was satisfied with the work. (KNB)