Nagpur: For Amar Meshram, a resident of locality off inner ring road, using the road is akin to off-roading. The road surface is uneven due to incomplete and open storm water drain work at many places on the 7-km stretch from Chhatrapati Square to Hingna T-Point.
Recently, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, former chief minister and MLA Devendra Fadnavis, BJP city president Pravin Datke, mayor Dayashankar Tiwari, former mayor and ex-MLC Anil Sole, among others, ‘inaugurated’ the newly concretized road effectively adding insult to the injury of motorists who claimed many patches that were repaired have again come off.
TOI on Tuesday travelled on the Chhatrapati Square to Hingna T-point stretch and found the newly laid road uneven, many patches having cracks, open storm water drains and incomplete works posing threat to motorists.
Near the busy Chhatrapati Square, TOI spotted broken stormwater drain posing a threat to pedestrians. At Raje Sambhaji Square, a busy junction, road was not properly laid. According to roadside shopkeepers, the uneven patch there causes many minor accidents involving two-wheelers.
Shekhar Soni, a resident of the locality, expressed concern over the inferior quality work. He pointed out Gadkari was claiming that cement road last for 50 years but in reality, the road is not even good to drive now, he said. Prakash Motghare, another resident of Pratap Nagar, said, “Is public money meant to be wasted in such a way? What about accountability.”
Members of NGO Janmanch had staged protests over shoddy works by the contractor. Janmanch member Rajiv Jagtap wondered how could the minister was invited to open the road despite having several flaws that were still not rectified. “If this was the new standard of quality, citizens should start thinking about their safety,” he added.
MLA Vikas Thakre too said the quality of construction was very shoddy. “I would want Union minister Nitin Gadkari to conduct an inquiry as the work was executed using central road funds,” he said.
TOI had reported many times about the poor quality works being carried out by RPS Infra, which was blacklisted for seven years by Mumbai civic body for same reason.
A senior PWD official said the defect liability period was for three more years. “Besides part payment (of the Rs70 crore road work of the patch) to the contractor has not be released,” the official said. The defects will be rectified, he assured.