Allegations of irregularities surface in Koyra road dev project

KOYRA, KHULNA, Aug 5:  Widespread irregularities have been alleged in the development of a road from Madarbaria to Ronbagh under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Koyra Upazila of Khulna. 

Locals are furious that the work is being carried out irresponsibly. When residents protested during the pouring of pitch without a prime code, the contractor's workers abandoned the site.

According to the Koyra Upazila LGED office, the contractor Messrs. Kamrul & Brothers was awarded the contract for paving the road from the North Madarbari border towards Ronbagh, along with the Hadda-Bedkashi road. The estimated cost for the two roads was approximately Tk 2.64 crore. Work began on 3 April 2024 and was scheduled for completion on 14 November that year. However, the contractor failed to meet the deadline.

The project was later repackaged with an extended timeline and reduced allocation, covering only one kilometre from the North Madarbari border towards Ronbagh, excluding the Hadda-Bedkashi road. However, details of the revised timeline and budget were not available even after inquiries at the office.

On the afternoon of 24 June, about 500 metres of the road had been paved with pitch. At four locations, the pitch was seen lifting, and cracks had appeared on the guide wall in several places. Speaking to Abdur Rahman Sardar, Al Amin and others at the site, they said the required amount of bitumen was not being used in the stone mixture. Pitch was being poured using the prime code negligently, and the dirt on the road was not removed. As a result, the paving done just a week earlier was lifting by hand. Cracks had also emerged on the guide wall before the project was even completed. If work continues in this manner, they warned, the pitch will lift within a short time and the road will become unusable.

When asked about the quality of the work, those concerned left without providing any proper answer. Although LGED engineers were supposed to be present during pitch pouring, they were mostly absent from the site, allowing the contractor's workers to carry out irregularities as they pleased. Bills for a large portion of the road had been raised before the project was fully completed.

There is widespread anger among locals over the issue. They have demanded an impartial investigation to verify the real situation and take action against those responsible.

Jamal Farooq Zafarin, local UP member, said the road work was done with low-quality materials, prompting locals to obstruct the work.

Hasan Sheikh, the pay work supervisor (sub-contractor) of the contracting company, claimed that the prime code was applied properly, but some parts were washed away by rain. 

Shafin Shoaib, Additional Engineer in charge of the Koyra Upazila LGED office, said, "We have received complaints about the road. It takes a few days for the bitumen road to solidify. Moreover, there have been allegations that less quantity was given in some parts where it was primed." He added that arrangements would be made to prime the defective areas again and pour the concrete.