On Friday, the villagers of Mainpur block of district got angry over the poor quality and poor condition of the road, built under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Usually about two hundred villagers assembled around noon to protest about the wretched state of the road at Gaurghat, Deharguda, Girhola, Amaguda, Sinhar and Rampra villages. The protesters had to have a rally, praising slogans against government and administration. Later, they planted paddy and besharam plants in a symbolic protest in very big potholes in the road.
The villagers claimed that a road was started in 2018 and finished, at the end of a period of approximately three years. They said, however, they began to see large holes and bad sections as early as the first year after the project was built.
Protesters say they repeatedly showed up with complaints at the offices of officials, who promised to fix the road. However, they said officials are now citing the five-year guarantee period for the road and claiming that the period has expired.
Villagers claimed that the road had already started deteriorating since the time of its construction itself and this problem was not taken forward by the officials in the PMGSY department. Thousands of people from Gaurghat, Deharguda, Khambhatha, Girhola, Achanpur, Sinhar and Rampra rely on the route, they said.
The irregularity of the road condition has also raised its concern to the safety of the school children. Over a dozen schools also exist along the way with thousands traveling to school along the roads every day, villagers said. They said that the big potholes have made driving more hazardous.
The protesters threatened to go on to a more intensive agitation which would involve blocking the road unless the authorities act quickly.