On Mandi-Phagla road, many PWD Engineers became lakh patis but the road is still uncompleted; Fake bills withdrew time and again

On Mandi-Phagla road, many PWD Engineers became lakh patis but the road is still uncompleted; Fake bills withdrew time and again

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: More than 45 years have passed, but, the work on 52 kilometer Mandi Phagla road is still uncompleted, but on the other hand, many PWD officials became lakhpatis by withdrawing fake bills over the years from the said road. This road connects tehsil Mandi with Mughal road via Buffliaz and is always considered as a big project of public importance, but nobody in the corridors of power gave this road urgent importance. Instead, tainted PWD Engineers grabbed the opportunity with folded hands and earned like anything by withdrawing fake bills. Initially, Rs 42 crores were provided for this road, but shockingly, after passing more than 45 years, the road is still looking for its completion. On paper, PWD engineers claim that the department has done a big job by ensuring development in every corner of the district, but a few tainted engineers of the department fully know that they remained neck-deep involved in major scams and this Mandi Phagla road is one just scam. Out of 52 km, nearly 25 km has been blacktopped, that too of poor quality while work on more than 7 km earth cutting has been completed but more than 20 km work is pending due to land compensation cases. Similarly, many PWD officials were deeply involved in withdrawing fake bills more than thrice on many roads of less public importance and it shows that how few PWD Engineers became overnight lakhpatis. Those, who ruled PWD for years gave huge out-of-the-way benefits to their nears and dears from fake withdrawal on many works.  Completely ignoring a road of huge public importance by PWD shows that the department officials took everything lightly, but remained attentive to loot government exchequer from fake withdrawals only.  The public of Mandi and Surankote raised this issue of road incompletion time and again, but their most genuine demand failed to reach the hard-of-hearing ears of administration.