BARIPADA: Officials have been passing the buck over poor quality of construction of a concrete cloth (CC) drain on the stretch between PWD Square and Biju Patnaik Chowk here.
PWD Executive Engineer Prasanta Panda and Executive Officer of Baripada Saroj Kumar Das denied the project is being implemented by their respective departments. However, Junior Engineer of the Municipality Jadabendra Mohapatra said the work is being executed by the civic body. Panda said the project was undertaken by the civic body even as it was supposed to be done by the PWD. A notice in this regard was issued to the Municipality authorities, he said.
The project was envisaged in 2016-17 at a cost of `3,60,000. But the work was only started last month. Locals said the contractor entrusted with the work has been using poor quality construction material and has not visited the site even once.
Even as the 70 per cent of the work has been completed, no slabs have yet been laid on the drain. A portion of the under-construction drain was damaged in rains last month. It is alleged the contractor is using sand and mud to construct the drain owing to which it has already developed cracks in several places.
Sukumar Ranjan Pradhan, a political activist, said a high level inquiry should be conducted into the matter by the Collector level and action initiated against the contractor and authorities concerned.