EVEN AS the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation claims to be in a deep financial crisis, three new mobile road quality testing machines worth a whopping Rs 30 lakh and a mobile lab continue to be a mere show piece. A written complaint to the CBI and the vigilance has already been made seeking a probe and specifying that these machines which were purchased from the MC funds are wastage as they have not been used. The inquiry is on. Congress councillor Satish Kainth said he had already submitted the complaint. “When you did not want to use these machines, then why did you purchase them? On the one hand, you say you are in a crisis and do not have money to pay salaries and, on the other, you have junked newly purchased machines,” said Kainth. Interestingly, Chandigarh Newsline had also found that the House had approved Tata Ace vehicle to mount these machines on, but the civic officials instead purchased a Bolero for a Sub-Divisional Officer’s convenience. A report had been called on this and a reply is still awaited. City roads are already in a bad shape. Even the newly constructed roads that were recarpeted of late have come off. A junior engineer had recently written to the higher officials about the Sector 19 road that quality check needs to be ensured there. The roads have been made in an uneven way. A senior official of the corporation said that one V3 road has been tested from this machine after the incident. “We did get one road quality checked through this,” the official said. It was Chandigarh Newsline that visited the basement of the corporation in the month of July and found these machines junked. When it was brought to the notice of the former mayor in whose tenure these were purchased, he had immediately called up the officials to know the status. He too was shocked when he got to know that these new machines are just a junk now. Later, the issue was raised in the House and the Commissioner had directed the officials to use the machines. But all in vain. Who is responsible for this wastage? In 2016 these machines were purchased to ensure that no substandard material is used wherever new roads are made because the testing of the material is done at the spot itself and results are also out there only. Also, these machines were to ensure that key specifications in the road work are complied with. However, the corporation officials found it wiser to dump these for reasons best known to them. The machines were meant to check the bitumen content, thickness, density, gradation sieve and temperature measurement during the making of new roads. These are the key specifications which have to be checked to ensure proper life of the road. As they are not being used and a good chunk of funds are already spent, who is to be held responsible for this wastage, ask residents.
