ITANAGAR, 3 Sep: The All Arunachal Pradesh Youth Organization (AAPYO) and Bazar Welfare Society (BWS) Naharlagun on Wednesday jointly served a 15-day ultimatum to the state government seeking early intervention into the alleged substandard construction of flyover under four-laning of Itanagar-Banderdewa section of NH-415 from Km 40.430 to Km 51.735 (Package-B) and threatened to resort to democratic action in case its demands are not met within the stipulated time.
In a joint memorandum to the chief minister, both organizations expressed grave concerns over the alleged substandard construction of flyovers and said, “We strongly appeal for the immediate dismantling of 18 piers and 13 girders (specifically pier numbers 45, 46, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 89, 91, 92, and 93) where substandard materials such as low-grade TMT bars and 43-grade cement have been used rampantly. This is in total violation of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of NHAI, Government of India, and poses a grave danger to public safety. These structures have been illegally and wrongfully constructed, and therefore must be dismantled without delay.”
The organizations further strongly appealed for refund of money that was allegedly collected from petrol depots and small traders, who were compelled to pay against concrete drain slabs. “Such unlawful collections have caused deep financial distress especially to small traders struggling for daily survival. The government must ensure that every affected trader and business entity is fully refunded without delay,” both organizations stated and appealed to the state government to compensate all the traders of Naharlagun region for the prolonged delay in the construction of drainage systems, highway works, and flyover projects that has directly affected their businesses, caused financial losses, and created hardships for day-to-day operations.
Other demands of the organizations include, immediate departmental enquiry of all technical credentials of the executing agency and sub-contractor firms engaged in the flyover construction and publication of findings in the public domain within 15 days, tripartite signing of an “integrity pact” for every project above Rs. 10 crores, with inclusion of all state PSUs such as APIDFC, Forest Corporation, APEDA, Arunachal Police Housing & Welfare Corporation Ltd, Arunachal University, NERIST and NGOs under the purview of Central Vigilance Commission orders and related government circulars, blacklisting of M/s Woodhills -Shivam (JV), suspension and initiation of appropriate charges against the officials of PWD highway division found partly involved in corrupt practices in NH-415 Package-B along with the project developers and immediate accord of Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity test for all flyover piers.
