Poor road carpeting sparks protest in Kulaura

Locals in Kulaura Upazila have alleged substandard road construction after claiming that the newly laid carpeting on the Panchpir-Baithang Jalai road is so weak that it is coming off easily when pulled by hand.

Residents of the Panchpir Jalai area held a protest meeting over the alleged substandard work on Tuesday afternoon. Later, Upazila Engineer Pritam Sikder inspected the site and reportedly found evidence of irregularities.

Local residents including Abdul Matin, Fazlur Rahman, Shamima Begum, Aftar Ali, Abdur Rahim, Rajib Ahmed Raju, and Alam Ahmed spoke at the protest meeting.

Upazila Engineer Pritam Sikder said under the IRIDP-3 project, the Local Government Engineering Department allocated Tk 98,35,951 for carpeting about one kilometre of road from in front of Mahmud Ali’s shop to Baithang Jalai Amuli on the Panchpir-Baithang Jalai road in Joychandi Union.

The work was awarded to Concord Enterprise, owned by Delwar Hossain of Srimangal Upazila, at a contract value of Tk 93,44,000. The project began on December 13, 2023, with an initial completion deadline of July 16, 2024. However, the deadline was extended several times as the work remained incomplete.

Locals said residents of Panchpir Jalai, Baithang Jalai, Gogali Chha, and nearby areas, including workers of Marina Tea Garden, use this road to travel to the upazila headquarters and other destinations. People from parts of neighbouring Juri Upazila also use the road as an alternative route. About five kilometres of the road remains unpaved.

They further alleged that although this is the first time since independence that a kilometre of road is being carpeted in the area, the contractor did not begin the work properly.

They claimed that low-quality bricks, sand, and gravel were used, and carpeting was being done during rainfall. Locals further alleged that the newly laid carpet is coming off when pulled by hand, and urged the authorities to ensure proper completion of the work.

Contractor Delwar Hossain said over the phone that if any irregularities are found, they would be corrected. He added that due to continuous rainfall in the hilly area, the ongoing work had to be repaired several times and sought cooperation from locals for smooth implementation.

Upazila Engineer Pritam Sikder said the road was inspected following complaints from locals and the contracting firm was instructed to rectify the defects found during the ongoing work. He added that after completion as per schedule, the contractor will hand over the project, and payment will be withheld if the work is not done properly.