Mysore/Mysuru: Following a public outcry over slipshod asphalting works on the D. Devaraj Urs Road in the heart of the city and the subsequent action by the Public Works Department (PWD) asking the contractor to re-asphalt the road as per the set standards, the road works have been re-initiated now and are likely to be completed by Apr. 18.

The contractor had executed shoddy works in about a 400-metre stretch and the issue came to light when alert public found the road work substandard and not as per norms. People alerted the PWD and Executive Engineer Raju personally visited the spot recently.

During inspection, Raju and team removed a half-inch thick layer of tar up to 40 metres with the help of an earth-moving vehicle and found that the asphalting and binding works have been implemented in a shoddy manner. The contractor was pulled up for the mess and was asked to re-lay the road.

It may be mentioned here that on Apr. 11, Star of Mysore had published a report ‘D.D. Urs Road ‘TAR-Nished’! Re-asphalting perfectly good road costs taxpayers’ money’.

The project was launched to re-asphalt the 850-metre stretch of D. Devaraj Urs Road from the K.R. Circle to the JLB Road Junction and lay box drains on the sides and also re-laying and beautifying of the footpath. The road is 16-metre wide and plans were on to give a world-class look to the stretch. The project also included the asphalting of the adjacent roads that link to the Urs Road.

The total project cost is Rs. 9 crore and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) had plans to give a facelift to the Devaraja Urs Road to resemble the Brigade Road in Bengaluru.

As it was a major project that affected the image of the city, Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra too got involved and he took exception to the poor-quality works and directed the MCC and PWD to take action against the contractor.

Now the contractor has begun re-laying the road. Earlier, the road works were carried out by the contractor in the night as there would be less vehicles. However, this time, he has been told to carry out the work during the day time in a transparent manner. Traffic on the road has been diverted to nearby roads.

Every day, 200 metres of the road are being asphalted.

“The road works will be completed by Tuesday (Apr. 18) and the Police have requested us not to pursue the work on Sunday (Apr. 16) as the weekend traffic would be heavy and it would be difficult to manage traffic diversions on other nearby roads,” Raju told Star of Mysore.

‘Reimburse business lost due to re-asphalting’

A reader writes to Star of Mysore on the waste of money and business loss

Sir,

Time and time again, the authorities show us that they do not have proper brains in their team. Around 4-5 months back, D. Devaraj Urs Road was closed for 3-4 days for laying tar and this caused huge business loss for all the shops on the main road.

Now, again, out of nowhere just because elections are nearing, they are re-asphalting the road as the previous work was shoddy and of low quality. Moreover, they have decided to do it on Thursday (Apr. 13), Friday (Apr. 14, Government holiday) and on the weekend.

Business on Devaraj Urs Road is at its peak during Government holidays and weekends. If the authorities close the main road these days, who is going to pay for the lost business? Will the contractor, elected Corporator or the local MLA pay  the shopkeepers?

Everyone keeps complaining about this issue but there is no one to listen to our queries and problems. —An aggrieved citizen