Gadchiroli Nov. 1 (District Correspondent) Taking suo- moto cognizance of the poor condition of the national highways in the district, District Collector Avishyant Panda issued a ‘show cause’ notice against the concerned contractor and held a hearing on Friday. He gave a stern warning that no one will be spared on the serious issue of bad roads.
While the entire responsibility of construction, tarring, repair and maintenance of the highway lies with the concerned contractor as per the government tender, the common citizens are suffering a lot due to the poor condition of the said roads. Taking suo moto cognizance of this serious negligence, District Collector Panda registered a case against the concerned contractor and held a hearing.
This action has been taken under Sections 150 to 152 of the ‘Indian Civil Protection Code, 2023’. According to these sections, the Magistrates have the power to take action against nuisance acts that adversely affect public order, safety and amenities.
During the hearing, Mr. Panda clarified that quality and accountability are mandatory in government work and strict action will be taken against those who are negligent in public work.
Quite a sensation has prevailed among the contractors following this action of the district collector. It should be mentioned here that the district collector had given clear cut warnings to the contractors and even the PWD and national highway authorities to get the damaged roads repaired and the construction works completed within the stipulated time to avoid the inconvenience of the public.
Finally the district collector took this action acting on the problem himself, which has become a matter of wide discussion in the contractors lobby and the administration itself.
