PMGSY roads are virtual death traps

PARADIP: Residents of Jagatsinghpur are having a harrowing time over poor road conditions, their woes aggravated by the onset of monsoon.  While several roads in Jagatsinghpur district commissioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) have failed to meet the deadline, locals attribute the poor condition of the already existing roads to lack of maintenance.They smell foul in the construction of the 4-km-long Sanpur-Bhagbanpur canal embankment. Construction of the embankment commenced three years back. A nexus between a contractor and officials of Rural Development Department in Jagatsinghpur has delayed the project, locals allege. Moreover, the contractor in question expanded the embankment with new soil prior to the monsoon, which collapsed following heavy rains.  Villagers of Sanpur, Petetipur, Gopalpur, Patilo and Tarapada panchayats depend on the embankment.  Same is the fate of PMGSY roads at Panchupalli, Goda and Ghosagar. The roads, commissioned in 2009, are yet to be completed. Former Goda sarpanch Pratap Sahu said authorities had remained nonchalant to the plight of commuters despite demonstrations by locals at Ibrisingh last year.The 3-km-long road from Manijanga to Bilhat in Raghunathpur block has already developed cracks within an year of construction. About ` 34 lakh was spent on the road. The contractor and the Rural Development officials have defalcated at least half  of the allocated funds, locals allege. They have demanded a Vigilance probe.Executive Engineer of the Rural Development Department AU Subudhi admitted to receiving complaints regarding incomplete roads. Steps have been taken to complete the works, he added.