Kendrapada: A three-kilometre road connecting Juania village to Roulsahi in Aul block has developed widespread cracks and potholes just four months after completion, prompting residents to charge shoddy work and official negligence.
Built by the Rural Development department at an estimated cost of Rs 4.5 crore, the contract was awarded in December 2025 and the project finished in March this year. Locals said heavy rains in recent weeks exposed numerous cracks and depressions along the newly laid surface, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Residents said the damage resulted from inferior building materials and poor supervision. They said poor-quality materials, especially cement and stone chips, were used, weakening the road. Some villagers also accused the contractor and RD staff of colluding to misuse public funds to cut costs.
Pramod Mallick of Juania warned the fractured road is hazardous for travellers and that motorists face difficulty negotiating it, especially during the monsoon. “The RD officials were hand in glove with the contractor, who failed to build the road properly. We have already approached the district administration, but no action has been taken in this regard. If the road is not repaired immediately, we will be forced to launch an agitation,” Mallick said.
Villager Baburam Biswal said the damaged stretch has slowed travel between villages and raised safety risks. “Bad roads are a threat to both pedestrians and motorists, especially at night due to the absence of proper streetlights. Hundreds of people and vehicles including buses and trucks use this road every day. The authorities should immediately repair it to ensure safe travel,” Biswal said.
Kendrapada collector Raghuram R. Iyer said complaints reached his office and that he has directed RD officials to submit a report on the matter.
