District Magistrate Chamoli Orders Probe into Substandard Road Construction and Delays.

Chamoli: District Magistrate of district Chamoli, hill state Uttarakhand, Gaurav Kumar has directed a magistrate-level inquiry into the poor quality and prolonged delays in the construction of the Salood–Selang motor road, being built under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The project, which began in February 2024, has faced repeated complaints from villagers about shoddy work, unsafe conditions, dumping zones, drainage issues and incomplete cutting.

Despite payments of nearly 60 to 70 per cent of the ₹8.5 crore contract to the contractor, only about half of the eight-kilometre stretch has been completed. The road, which connects six to eight villages including the heritage settlement of Salood–Dunga, has become hazardous, with potholes and unfinished sections posing daily risks to hundreds of vehicles.

On Thursday, residents from the village Salood–Dunga, Pagno, Motla and Selang, led by Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Butola, met the District Magistrate to demand accountability. Following their complaints, the DM instructed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Jyotirmath to submit a report within 15 days and ordered PMGSY officials to immediately begin repair work. In response, the department assured that roadworks would resume from 15 September and that potholes would be fixed within a week. The inquiry is expected to determine responsibility for the lapses and ensure corrective measures are taken to safeguard the interests of local communities.