Abbottabad residents fume as contractor leaves road construction halfway

ABBOTTABAD: A half-constructed road in Abbottabad costing Rs7.5 million is a classic example of the nexus between the contractor and Communication and Works (C & W) Department. This has deprived the residents of the right to civic amenities.

According to the C&W Department officials, a contract for blacktopping the road along with construction of side shoulders was awarded to a local contractor for Rs7.5 million in Jhangi Syedan locality in Abbottabad city.

The contractor was tasked with completing the road within 30 days. He did the blacktopping within a few days and left without building the side shoulders.The local people approached The News to report the issue. This correspondent spoke to the Adviser to Chief Minister for Communications and Works Department, Akbar Ayub Khan, Superintending Engineer (SE) of Hazara and Executive Engineer (XEN) of C &W Department in Abbottabad and apprised them of the situation.

Akbar Ayub Khan directed the XEN concerned to address the complaints.  The residents complained that this less than one kilometer-long road was built in haste in the rainy season in April.

According to the residents, the road is defective and small potholes could be seen on it despite the fact that it was built just two months ago.They alleged that the contractor was an influential man and related to a very senior bureaucrat, a fact admitted by the C&W officials.

When contacted, the SE of the C &W Department, Amir Durrani, said he would look into the matter. He admitted that there were other such complaints against the contractor in question, adding that his department was recommending blacklisting him. The senior official directed XEN Allah Nawaz to visit the site and address the concerns of the people.

Neither any C &W official has visited the road for inspection nor has the department ordered the contractor to build the shoulders on both sides of the road.  The residents of Jhangi Syedan feared that the road costing Rs7.5 million would be washed away during the upcoming monsoon rains if the side shoulders were not constructed forthwith.

It is worth mentioning that despite the intervention of the Adviser to Chief Minister on C&W, Akbar Ayub Khan and SE Amir Durrani, the contractor continues to win lucrative contracts even though his reputation isn’t good.

Adil, a resident of Jhangi Syedan, alleged that the contractor seemed more powerful than the C&W Department officials.He appealed to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission and the Anti-Corruption Establishment to probe the issue.