Trust in GP collapses along with new drain
Award-winning Chinnakote GP receives criticism for poor quality of work
The poor quality of work in recent times by the state and national award-winning gram panchayat at Chinnakote has raised doubts in the minds of the people regarding the working of the Panchayat.
A huge canal constructed by the Panchayat under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at Vijayanagara near BEML Nagar collapsed within a year's time.
The proportion of cement and mud used to construct the canal that collapsed has given rise to questions about the technical knowledge of the officers.
Expectations
Vijayanagara mostly houses workers employed outside the BEML. However, since it neighbours the BEML residential area, people in the layout expect the same quality of work as given by BEML.
The collapse of the drain has stoked doubts regarding the quality of work undertaken by the Panchayat.
Collapse and crack
The drains constructed at an expenditure of Rs 8.5 lakh has collapsed within year and there are cracks in several places.
Ravichandran, the Zilla Panchayat technical engineer, reported that the existing drain is in good condition, after which, the contractors were paid for the work.
Equipment for test
Now, however, Kamal, a BEML worker, whose house is near the collapsed drain, asks what equipment the engineers used to check the quality of the drain built.
The Chinnakote Gram Panchayat cleared the connecting road from the BEML guest house till Cauvery Nagar and got it asphalted. The cement coating on the road has not only come off, and a businessman from Vijayanagara speaks of doubt regarding whether cement was used at all for a coating.
The drain in the area collapsed unable to take the weight of a tractor that was driven down the road, explained a Gram Panchayat officer. It will, however, be repaired immediately. “The work was given to contractors from the same area, as demanded by residents,” the officer added.
