Birtamod, Feb. 8 -- The newly paved Charpane-Narayanchok-Jayapur road in Arjundhara Municipality, Jhapa, has started to crack and locals blame the use of low-grade materials.

The newly asphalted road did not even last for one month, said Laxmi Prasad Mainali, a local man.

"The six-kilometre road is riddled with potholes and cracks. This wouldn't have happened if the contractor had used high-grade construction materials," he said.

The road, which was built 58 years ago, was in a poor state due to a lack of maintenance.

According to the Infrastructure Development Office in Bhadrapur, Sah Engineering and Construction Company had won the tender to blacktop the road on July 4, 2017. According to the new deadline, the company has to complet...