Zilla Parishad member alleges construction lapses in Karad PHC building
Madan Kalbhor accuses officials and a contractor of shoddy work on a primary health centre building in Pal village, Karad
A major lapse has come to light in the construction of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) building being built in Pal village, Karad. Zilla Parishad member Madan Kalbhor has levelled serious allegations against officials of the Public Works Department and the contractor concerned, saying both are responsible for the defects found in the building.
Kalbhor called a press conference at the site in Pal on Saturday, September 19. BJP district vice president Suresh Patil, the sarpanch of Pal village, gram panchayat members and a large number of villagers were present.
An inspection by the Public Works Department found honeycombing in the building's RCC columns, cracks in RCC sections, heavy water seepage from the slab, and cracks in the staircase as well. The findings have raised serious questions about the quality of the building.
Kalbhor alleged that a company called Vijaya Construction has repeatedly been awarded government contracts. He said the same company had also been given a contract worth around one and a half crore rupees for driver and peon services, but claimed that workers employed under this service had not even been provided proper uniforms.
At the press conference, Kalbhor asked, "Why is a contractor whose work quality is repeatedly questioned given different contracts again and again?" He demanded that such contractors should not be given any government work in future.
Kalbhor also said clearly, "No work will be given to Vijaya Construction in my Zilla Parishad constituency going forward."
According to a structural consultant's report, NDT testing has been carried out on the building, and repair measures have been suggested for some sections. The report recommends rebuilding the slab in some places and carrying out low viscosity epoxy bonding and injection grouting in others. Kalbhor said the matter should not end with just repairs, and that an inquiry should be held into why the construction went wrong, which officials and contractors are responsible, and what action will be taken against them.
The primary health centre is essential for people in rural areas like Pal. Villagers are demanding that there be no compromise on quality and safety in the construction of this government-funded building. Their anger is evident, and they have warned of a larger agitation if the quality of work is not corrected. Attention now turns to what explanation the Public Works Department and the contractor concerned offer to these allegations.
