Crumbled CC road asphalted, then cemented again; Rs 3cr misuse alleged

Time of India

22-04-2025

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Sindhanur (Raichur): KRIDL officials, who faced consequences for poor-quality road work near the Tungabhadra Left Bank canal in Ganganagar, repeated their previous mistakes, resulting in public dissatisfaction.
The project in question involved the construction of a Cement concrete road (CC road), approved by the irrigation department under the SCP/TSP scheme for 2021-22. An allocation of Rs 3 crore was made to create a 2 km-long CC road next to the 40th sub-canal, with Rs 2 crore allotted for the road and Rs 1 crore for the drainage construction.
In 2023, KRIDL completed construction of 1 km of CC road work, extending from the Gangavathi main road, while the remaining section remained pending due to land encroachment issues. However, the 1 km CC road started deteriorating within months as a result of poor quality. Veerabhadrappa Vishwakarma, a resident of Ward 14, remarked, "To hide this error, KRIDL engineers hurriedly applied asphalt over the cement road. Asphalt does not stick well to CC surfaces and will eventually peel off."
On Nov 24, 2023, KRIDL chief engineer Rajanna visited Sindhanur after learning about the asphalt application on the CC road. During his inspection, he was taken aback to find that the asphalt had been applied unscientifically. His team's report claimed that the work was executed poorly and lacked scientific methodology, suggesting that funds were misappropriated through fraudulent accounting.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Following the findings of the report, AEE Anil Kumar K Gokhale, who oversaw the project, was interrogated and subsequently suspended on Dec 2, 2023. "Nevertheless, due to political pressure, Gokhale was reinstated within a few months," said local resident Mallikarjun Dinni. To hide the previous errors, there are allegations that Rs 1 crore from the outstanding Rs 2 crore grant was misused for laying cement concrete over the asphalted road.
Mallikarjun Dinni expressed disappointment that KRIDL repeated its past mistakes by applying tar over the CC road. This resulted in a waste of Rs 1 crore for the tar application. With half of the road still unfinished, Rs 2 crore of the total Rs 3 crore project budget was wasted.
However, AE Anil Kumar K Gokhale remarked, "We need to address the encroachment issue before we can continue with the construction of the remaining section of the road." He added that only the length of the road that can be completed with the remaining funds will be constructed.
When questioned about the lack of scientific standards in the road's construction and its subpar quality, AE Anil Kumar Gokhale chose not to answer. He merely stated that the KRIDL team has been directed to ensure that the road is built adhereing to a high standard. In a similar vein, AEE Mohammad Sohai, responsible for the ongoing road work, declined to comment.
There are escalating concerns regarding the potential misappropriation of Rs 3 crore, particularly since the suspended official has returned and is still managing the problematic project.