Carpeting work at chowks under probe
A mastic asphalt road work carried out by the Municipal Corporation at various chowks of the city has come under lens. On the directions of the Panchkula Deputy Commissioner a four-member team formed by the Zila Parishad CEO has started investigating the alleged misappropriation of funds and use of low-quality material in the work.
The members of the committee include MC’s Executive Engineer (XEN) and Secretary, SDO and Civil consultant of Zila Parishad, Panchkula.
Officials said the team paid a visit to the chowks and checked the work done by a private firm.
A member of Vikas Manch, Panchkula, had complained to the administration in February that the mastic asphalt road work carried out by a private firm on the directions of the MC allegedly reeked of use of low-quality material and misappropriation of funds. Rakesh Agarwal, a member of the manch, said they had filed a complaint with the Municipal Corporation regarding the same. “The work was carried out at chowks connecting Sectors 11, 12, 12A, 14 and Sectors 10, 11, 14, 15. Roads started breaking within months, but the MC did not heed to our concerns. Later, we complained to the District Administration and the CM office,” he added.
The manch members had also sought an investigation into the road work, besides demanding action against officials and MC councillors for submitting reports of satisfactory work regarding the project.
The four-member committee, meanwhile, paid a visit to the two chowks on Tuesday. Officials said the panel was set to submit a report on the matter soon.