Firm pulled up for shoddy National Highway work

SAMBALPUR: The district administration has pulled up construction firm, Ashoka Buildcon, for shoddy work on NH-6 stretch from Sambalpur to Bargarh.The Revenue Division Commissioner (North), D K Swamy, has threatened to take action against Ashoka Buildcon if poor quality of work is not rectified at the earliest.

Ashoka Buildcon has been awarded work for four-laning of 88 km stretch from Sambalpur to Bargarh/Chhattisgarh border. The stretch of NH has been executed under Build Own Transfer (Toll) on Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer (DBFOT) model under PPP mode of National Highway Development Project III at a cost of `1,142 crore by Nashik-based Ashoka Buildcon. Although there have been numerous complaints of poor quality of work by the agency and the work on the stretch is far from complete, it has managed to obtain a completion certificate and has been collecting hefty toll for the past three years which is being increased gradually.

Ironically, despite public outrage, the Project Director of NHAI remained unmoved. The street lights on the NH stretch are never switched on and there is repeated landslide at Laxmi Dungri hill as a result of which, a portion of the NH remains closed for most part of the year. On August 11, a gaping hole appeared on the middle of the NH 6 at Brahmachari on Bargarh by-pass road. Even after three years, construction of service road in many areas has not been completed.

The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), led by its State Working president Sanjit Mohanty, had even burnt effigies of Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari at four places between Sambalpur and Bargarh simultaneously demanding CBI probe into the laying of the road and fresh relaying of the road.
The RDC (North), who chaired a meeting on the matter on Wednesday, has directed to ensure that all street lights are switched on failing which, collection of toll will be stopped and action under Section 133 CrPC will be initiated against the agency. He also instructed that wherever required, repair and maintenance should be taken up and completed on war footing and ensure that commuters do not suffer.

The Commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation informed that a high max light is being installed at Baraipali Chowk where 11 roads meet making the road stretch a death trap. He also spoke about absence of cross drainage which has been resulting in water logging on the road.Sources said the NHAI will provide `12 crore for wire meshing at Laxmi Dungri where repeated landslides have been taking place. NHAI has outsourced the work to Ashoka Buildcon.