BALURGHAT, May 12 -- Construction work at the new Doulla Primary School in Chakamod village, South Dinajpur, was abruptly halted on Monday after local residents protested against the use of substandard materials, particularly low-quality sand, in the building process.
The school is being relocated and rebuilt after the original structure fell within the expansion zone of the Balurghat-Hili Railway line. On Monday, concrete casting work was underway when villagers noticed the use of fine-grade sand instead of the required coarse sand. Alleging poor-quality construction, they staged a protest against the contractor and forced an immediate stop to the work.
Residents expressed long-standing concerns about the quality of construction. Parimal Barman, a local villager, stated: "We have repeatedly urged the contractor to use quality materials for the school. Since our demands were ignored, we had no choice but to stop the work ourselves. Until our concerns are addressed, we won't allow the construction to resume."
In response, Dilip Kumar Ghosh, the contractor overseeing the project, acknowledged the mistake. He explained that the supplier had mistakenly delivered fine sand instead of coarse sand. "We have instructed the suppliers to send coarse sand. Construction will resume shortly using the proper materials," Ghosh assured. The villagers remain firm in their stance, warning that they will not allow further progress unless their demands for better construction standards are met.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.