Bijapur: The Chhattisgarh government has initiated a probe into the alleged faulty construction of a 52.40 km road from Gangaloor to Nelsnar here, officials said.
This comes following reports that the road construction involved massive corruption and irregularities. Earlier this month, journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was also murdered allegedly over his reporting on corruption in road construction and the use of substandard materials.
Mukesh was killed on January 3, with his body found in a septic tank at the contractor's property. Later, the police arrested the accused contractor, Suresh Chandrakar, and his associates for the murder. However, the incident triggered widespread outrage and condemnations, with people raising concerns over the safety of journalists who highlight corrupt practices in government projects.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department has filed an FIR against several officials, including retired Executive Engineer BL Dhruv, Sub-Divisional Officer RK Sinha, and Deputy Engineer GS Kodopi. It also suspended two officers, RK Sinha and GS Kodopi, with immediate effect.
Following Mukesh’s murder, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao promised strict action and stated that the government would not spare any corrupt official or contractor. “The only place for corrupt people in Chhattisgarh is in jail,” he said.
Meanwhile, the probe into the road construction has revealed “major irregularities” in the project. This prompted the government to cancel the contractor's license.
The state and central government have been presenting the road projects in Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh as part of their bigger plan to combat Naxalims. The Union home ministry also pumped money to accelerate development in the region to improve connectivity in line with their target of ending Naxalism in the state by March 2026.
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