Malkangiri BJD-affiliated public representatives have stopped the construction of a low-quality bitumen road by the Minor Irrigation Department, questioning the misuse of taxpayers’ money. The issue relates to the rehabilitation and beautification of Shi Sagar in Mathili block of Malkangiri district, for which ₹4.57 crore had been sanctioned by the previous government. The Minor Irrigation Department was tasked with executing the work and had handed it over to a private contractor through a public notice.
Last year, after receiving the work order, the contractor started extracting soil from Shi Sagar. Allegations arose that the excavated soil was sold to individuals by the contractor and a junior engineer, who used it to illegally fill irrigated farmland. This illegal filling caused waterlogging and partial flooding during last year’s monsoon, resulting in the destruction of paddy crops.
The project also included construction of a protective embankment around Shi Sagar, a connecting road, stone patching, and guard walls on both sides. However, complaints surfaced that the contractor failed to follow specifications. For the 1,200-meter road, ₹93 lakh was allocated, but stone patching and guard wall construction were ignored, and a low-grade bitumen road was being laid without the protective features.
The contractor continued construction under the supervision of Junior Engineer Paras Behera and Malkangiri Minor Irrigation Department’s junior engineer Madhuchandrika. With the rainy season approaching, there’s growing concern that the road will be washed away without proper side protection.
Due to these concerns, Mathili Block BJD President Sadashiv Pujari, local Sarpanch Sangh President Kanam Raju Nayak, Zilla Parishad Members Laxmipriya Nayak (Zone-1) and Sasmita Majhi (Zone-3), and several BJD workers visited the site and stopped the construction work. They have warned that road construction will remain halted until the stone patching and guard walls on both sides of Shi Sagar’s protective embankment are completed.
Another serious allegation is that underage laborers were being employed by the contractor for road construction. The BJD representatives demanded a high-level investigation into similar substandard works across the block and strict action against the contractor and responsible departmental officers. If their demands are not met, the BJD has threatened mass protests and agitation, according to Mr. Pujari.