OUR CORRESPONDENT, Patuakhali

Within merely 10 days after renovation, the bitumen cover of a road in Nizampur area of Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila is coming off.

The Local Government Engineering Department recently renovated the 3.3-kilometre-long and 3-metre-wide road from Sagar Cinema Hall to Nizampur Kheyaghat area in the upazila at a cost of Tk 1.33 crore, and opened it to traffic 10 days back.

However, soon after vehicular movement resumed on the road, the bitumen cover started getting removed at numerous places, alleged locals.

Visiting the road yesterday, this correspondent observed that the bitumen is coming off even if scraped by hand, or rubbed by feet.

Locals said 25mm thick bitumen cover was supposed to be made throughout the road, but most places got only 15-20mm cover.

According to sources at Kalapara upazila LGED office, the road was renovated recently after it got damaged in Cyclone Amphan-induced flood.

A contractor named Shahidul Enterprises got the Tk 1.33 crore renovation work and has been paid Tk 90 lakh already. However, within 10 days the road returned to a dilapidated state.

“Poor-quality materials were used to renovate the road. We demand exemplary punishment of the officials concerned and the contractor for irregularities, and proper renovation of the road,” said Nasir Mia, a local resident.

Solaiman Munshi, another local, echoed him.

Contacted, Shahidul Islam, the contractor, said the upazila administration is looking into the matter, and declined to comment any further.

Refusing to provide details, Mohammad Sadekur Rahman, Kalapara upazila engineer of LGED, said the final bill will be withheld until the road is reconstructed.

Contacted, Rabiul Islam, UNO of Kalapara upazila, said he inspected the renovated road and found it to be of sub-standard work.

“Instructions have been given not to pay the final bill until the road is rebuilt. The contractor’s security money has also been asked to be forfeited,” he added.

Motaleb Talukder, chairman of Kalapara upazila parishad, said the supervising official has been directed to rebuild the road at the earliest.