KOTHAGUDEM: The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), which is looking after infrastructure facilities in rural areas, including the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, has found fault with district officials for not maintaining quality while laying roads under the scheme. Allegedly, field-level engineers monitoring the project implementation units (PIU) are not following guidelines with regard to quality and control mechanisms for PMGSY roads.
In the last four years, the Centre cleared 159 roads in rural areas of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district and sanctioned another 86 road projects and three bridges, at a cost of Rs 113 crore.
Road contractors should approach quality control laboratories and conduct all contractually stipulated tests as per the guidelines. The quality tests should be recorded in the prescribed quality registers and PIU engineers should personally monitor the tests and report their observations along with suggestions.
The team, comprising National Quality Monitors (NQM) constituted by the NRIDA, visited various road projects in the district and noticed that it was all haphazard while contractors were being paid bills even after they had failed to follow the guidelines. As a result, many roads are getting damaged whenever it rains heavily.
Many works were sanctioned in left-wing extremist areas like Charla, Dummugudem, Paloncha and Gundala in Bhadradri district. As per Centre’s guidelines, each habitation that had more than 100 families should be provided road connectivity.
District collector D. Anudeep said that the engineers and contractors were asked to lay the roads suiting the climatic conditions and the area’s landscape.
