A good number of big bridges and culverts constructed in Gournadi and Agailjhara in the district at huge costs can not be used for sheer negligence in their construction.

But the contractors have drawn bills keeping their work incomplete, sources said.

The LGED (Local Government and Engineering Department) constructed a 63-metre bridge on Hafez Khan Hat canal on Torki Bandar road in Gournadi in 2000 at a cost of Tk 82 lakh. It was built by Friends International, a construction firm.

Lands were acquired by the government for building approach roads to the bridge.

But the bridge can not be used as the approach roads are yet top be built, local people and LGED sources said.

The bridge is now a den of drug addicts, Abdul Jalil a resident of Torki said.

Md. Fazlur Rahman, assistant engineer who was in charge of the project said he was assaulted by the contractor's men as he pressed him to finish the work.

As local people complained, Hemayet Uddin, LGED executive engineer in Barisal visited the bridge

and sanctioned an additional amount of Tk one lakh for completing the approach road.

This correspondent during a recent visit saw that the earth-filling work to connect the bridge with approach roadsis yet to be completed.

A culvert constructed at a cost of Tk 28 lakh in Temar in Agailjhara in 2001 is unused as it is not connected with approach roads but the contractor has drawn the bills.

Nannu Enterprize built a culvert in Khanzapur Maszidbari in 2001. Messers Zamal Hossain and Sarder Enterprise built two other culverts near Batajore bus stand at a cost of Tk 14 lakh each. The bills were paid.

But the culverts can not be used as the contractors did not complete the approach roads.

Local people said Batajore Union Parishad later collected money from another local project and made the culverts usable.

When contacted, Ebadat Hossain, engineer in charge of LGED projects in Agailjhara and Gournadi upazilas admitted the irregularities. He said the LGED had to pay bills due to pressure as most of the contractors belonged to the then ruling party.

He said they are taking steps so that such irregularities can not take place in future.