VoL Desk, Drass, Nov. 18: Villagers of Doks, Chokiyal alleged compromise of work quality by the contractor in an irrigation kul being constructed at the village. The villager expressed the concern in a mass interaction with the weekly Voice of Ladakh correspondent.

The villagers further alleged that the work is started from the end of the channels of the irrigation kul locally called “hRka-yur” instead of the main water source locally called “hRkong/maa-yur”.

In the video the public showed that the contractor has used stones in excess while cement and sand in less quantity leading the concrete to break down even without bringing in usage. The villagers also alleged that the thickness of the cement concrete in sides and bottom of the kul is very thin that is hard to last for a long time.

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The villagers also mentioned that a month earlier, a video had gone viral on social media where the compromised quality of work was reported to the Executive Engineer of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Kargil. The Executive Engineer had instructed the concerned officials and contractor to revise the work while ensuring proper prescribed quality.

The contractor allegedly said that only 200 meter of work has been allotted to him while he worked for around 700 meters as of now. Such contractor should not get work, said a villager.

The hamlet called Doks has around 25 to 30 households who own an irrigable land of around 1.5 km which is totally dependent on the said irrigation kul. Despite of instruction from the Executive Engineer to reconstruct, the contractor in association with the concerned AEE repaired the damaged parts instead of replacing the whole concrete, said the villagers.

The public representative of the area, Councillor, LAHDC, Kargil Syed Mohammed Shah said that the people had a concern that the work had been started from bottom/ end point that he articulated to the Executive Engineer and concerned AEE. But despite they continued the work without any change, the Councillor added.

He alleged that the cement in the kul has applied in an uneven manner which differ on different locations. Somewhere it is only one inch and somewhere it differ by 4 inches. However, there should have a proper concrete. I appeal the CEC, DC and Commissioner to conduct and enquiry in this matter, said Syed Mohammad.

Such negligence in work is wastage of public funds and loss to the public. The Union Territory Administration claim that they are providing funds in abundance but in reality it is not properly executed on the ground, the Councillor added.

Responding to the Voice of Ladakh correspondent the concerned AEE Kousar said that based on a complaint from public they had intimated the contractor both during a site visit and in written to rectify the work in a range of around 100 to 200 meters.

Accordingly, the contractor went on site to rectify the work but at the same time another group from the village on phone insisted not to damage the executed work at their field channel. And, if we force them to revise the work they would go to the police, said the AEE.

We have halted the payment to the contractor until he rectify the compromised work, but the faction in the village who insist not to destroy the compromised work itself is a problem to rectify the work.

On execution of work from the bottom, she said that in order to speed up the work the project is divided in different branches which are provided to different agencies. The agency who have allotted the work at headwork/ source has also executed work on around 400 to 500 meter.

The total project is accorded at a cost of 99.91 lakh.