Assam: Rs 206 crore NESIDS road project in Karbi Anglong faces allegations of fund misuse, poor construction

A Rs 206.42-crore road project in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district has come under scrutiny following allegations by local residents of financial irregularities, use of substandard construction materials and deviations from prescribed construction specifications.

The 50-km road connecting Chokihola to Tarapung via Barpung is being constructed under the Barpathar PWD Road Division with funding sanctioned through the Centre’s North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). The project was awarded to Gautam Construction.

Local residents have alleged that the entire project was not executed directly by the main contractor. According to them, around 50 per cent of the work was retained by Gautam Construction, while the remaining work was allegedly distributed between two sub-contractors — M.P. Agarwal, which was assigned 30 per cent, and Manoj Parik, which was assigned 20 per cent.

Residents have alleged that irregularities in the utilisation of public funds began after the work was distributed among the contractors. These allegations, however, have not been independently verified.

Concerns have also been raised over the sourcing of construction materials. According to the project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR), the required materials were to be sourced from Bhutiyachang Quarry in Udalguri. Residents allege that instead, stones, sand and gravel have been extracted from the Kaliyani River near the construction site.

They further allege that a substantial portion of the river has been artificially blocked to facilitate extraction, raising concerns over possible environmental damage. Excavators have allegedly been deployed in the riverbed to extract construction materials, which residents claim are of inferior quality.

Residents have also alleged irregularities in the construction of culverts and drainage structures. In some locations, they claim, banana tree trunks were used in place of PVC pipes intended for water drainage. They have further alleged that side drains were constructed without reinforcement rods and were completed through basic masonry work.

Another major allegation concerns the thickness of the road. Residents claim that the DPR specifies a thickness of 390 mm, while sections of the completed road that they reportedly excavated were found to be around 160 mm thick. They have alleged that the difference, if established through an official technical assessment, could indicate significant deviations from the sanctioned specifications.

Concerns have also been raised regarding drainage arrangements in hilly stretches of the project. Residents said they had sought the construction of additional culverts at locations where rainwater flows rapidly downhill, but alleged that their requests were not acted upon.

According to the residents, sections of the road subsequently suffered damage following relatively light rainfall. They have also alleged that a retaining wall collapsed within two months of the completion of the construction work.

The role of the third-party quality monitoring agency, New Sun Consulting Firm of Guwahati, has also come under question. The agency was reportedly entrusted with monitoring the quality of construction work. Residents have questioned how the alleged deviations could have occurred despite the involvement of the third-party agency and departmental engineers.

The allegations have prompted calls for a detailed technical and financial inquiry into the project. Residents have urged the authorities to verify the quality and quantity of materials used, examine compliance with the DPR and investigate the alleged distribution of work among contractors.

They have also sought an assessment of the alleged extraction of materials from the Kaliyani River and its possible environmental impact.

The response of the Public Works Department, the contractors concerned and the third-party quality monitoring agency to the allegations is awaited. Any further action is expected to depend on the findings of an official inquiry or technical inspection.