Villagers resent delay in approach road construction

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, June 27

Mehalri villagers have expressed resentment over the delay in the construction of an approach road to the village.

As per information, the department outsourced the work to a private contractor in January last year. The cost of the stretch from the Matamaner Khud bridge near Tattal was pegged at Rs 51.76 lakh.

Initially, local villagers had raised an objection for the passage of the road but it was settled amicably with the PWD in February. They gave no objection certificates through affidavits to the department.

The PWD contractor undertook some roadside earth cutting for two months but the construction work was yet to begin.Meanwhile, four houses have come under the threat of landslides due to earth cutting.

Rashpal, Ramesh Chand, Parkash Singh and Mehar Singh, residents of Mehalri village, have lamented that villagers would experience hardships during monsoons as the existing village path was in a bad condition.

Meanwhile, Inderjeet Singh Uttam, executive engineer, PWD division, said the department had received cement two months back. “The issue of land objections has been settled and the department has asked the contractor to execute the construction of the village approach road forthwith,” he said.