In Sonaimuri upazila, there have been allegations of arbitrariness, evasion of sub-contractors, widespread irregularities, fraud, corruption in the construction of rural roads under the Local Road Engineering Department (LGED). Although there are instructions regarding the use of construction materials (bricks, clay, sand, stone, etc.) according to the rules and regulations of the contract of the government tenders and according to the work orders, there is nothing but subhankari at the workplace in the office commission trade and bakshis trade of Urdhamhal. And through Daisara, 100% of the work is done at the maximum of 40% to 50% of the state’s money.
It has been alleged that some dishonest officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Executive Engineer, Noakhali and Assistant Engineer Sonaimuri office are looting hundred percent of the national money by managing the contractor company in exchange of 15% commission and the political influencers in exchange of money. As most of the owners of the contracting companies belong to the government party, these unaccountable companies are taking away the public revenue by working under political influence. Wherever the development work of the contracting company is going on, the so-called fake journalists of Facebook YouTube channels from different areas of the district including Sonaimuri are being paid by the contracting companies. As a result, the so-called fake journalists have formed a huge circle of extortion and racketeering around Noakhali LGED department.
Sources of Sonaimuri Upazila Engineer’s Office said that in the last fiscal year, tenders were invited for paving 550 meters of road from Ghoshkamta Khejurtala to Ghoshkamta Government Primary School under Greater Noakhali Project Egach-3 under Greater Noakhali Project in the last financial year. , 60,817 (Taka Nine Fifty Lakh Six Thousand Eight Hundred) and 1,65,385 was levied for the off-loading of abandoned bricks, etc. on the road. The contractor completed the establishment agreement on the date but started the work 15 days earlier. However as per the agreement the project work was supposed to be completed by 23-06-2023.
On this occasion, after cutting the box of the road, the contractor company has used low quality stone and bitumen to finish the macardum work of the road and hastily finished the road macardum work without using roller and rolling work while filling the bed with RA sand. As a result of the mixture of stone and bitumen, there is a rule of laying stone on the road at 170 degrees centigrade, but the contractor company completes the road work using a lower heat than normal, which is completed in 1 day.
Regarding these irregularities, several local contractors said that the officials of the executive engineer’s office do not sign the file without a 15% commission, due to which the contractors cannot complete the work properly. During the carpeting work on the road, it is seen that the specified amount of backfilling is done on the cobblestones before the backcasting on the road. However, it is not accepted. Locals raised allegations of these irregularities and manipulation when they went to the ground. In this regard, the supervisor of the contracting company, Khorshed Alam told the reporters, “You write and nothing will be done! I have my hand up to the chief engineer. I personally submitted the project to the ministry and passed it from the chief engineer’s office. done It has cost me about 5 lakh taka. Apart from this, the cost of pleasing the local office and political leaders is different. Here, the upazila engineer has no other power than to watch and listen. He works in the presence of the assistant of the engineer’s office and is also paid 10,000 taka per day have to pay.
Khorshed Alam said to the journalists, “Now you tell me how much work can be done by spending so much. If the work is not of low quality, the contractor will lose. Even though he called the owner of the contractor repeatedly on the phone, he did not receive the call. It is known from several sources that Kalam Brix Man: The owner of the contracting company does not receive calls from anyone other than a special person. In this incident, Sonaimuri Upazila Engineer Imdadul Haque said that 2-3 people have been given constant responsibility to ensure that there are no irregularities in various ongoing development works and to supervise the work.
