RAIPUR: A four-member expert team from the National Institute of Technology (Raipur) will probe into the construction quality of Chhattisgarh's only expressway.
A week earlier, a preliminary report by an inquiry committee of the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) cited the poor quality materials and structural defects in the construction of the newly-built expressway after the sample of materials were tested.
Two weeks ago a portion of the expressway had caved-in leading to a car accident injuring two persons following which a committee was constituted and an inquiry ordered by the RMC mayor.
Now the NIT will investigate afresh into the construction quality, designs and the materials used to build the expressway. The team comprises of a civil engineer and experts of structure, technical and transportation.
The irregularity in the construction works and the faults if any will also be looked into based on the collected sample. The team is likely to submit its report during the next couple of months, the sources told Express.
A 14-kilometre long expressway has been constructed so far, connecting Raipur railway station to Shadani Darbar, at the cost of over Rs 300 crore has four flyovers, one elevated corridor and over a half a dozen bridges.
The expressway has been named after the former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee by the BJP government previous year. Besides the Congress leaders, there were other organisations that cited structural defects and raised questions over the construction quality of the expressway.
"The interest of the earlier corrupt BJP government was only for huge commission from contractors. We can’t compromise on the welfare of the people and a thorough investigation will expose the wrongdoings," alleged the Congress spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur.