Pakyong, March 15 : A viral video exposing poor road construction in Sikkim’s Pakyong district has triggered swift action from the state government. Following widespread online outrage over the shoddy work in Tenki Lakha, Rural Development Department (RDD) Minister Arun Kumar Upreti and Area MLA Pamin Lepcha visited the site on March 14 to personally inspect the newly built PMGSY road.
The issue first came to light just two days earlier when a local social activist, running the Facebook page ‘ST Vlog,’ posted footage showing the deteriorating condition of the road carpeting in the Pachey GPU area. The video quickly caught the attention of the administration and the public alike, prompting an immediate response.
During the ground inspection, Minister Upreti expressed strong dissatisfaction with the damaged stretch. He demanded a detailed technical report from the concerned department on the spot, urging all stakeholders to work together to ensure quality infrastructure for the region.
According to RDD engineers present at the site, contractors have finished carpeting 1.7 kilometers of the total 5.4-kilometer project so far. Officials pointed out that the defect was isolated to a specific 10-meter section (from RD 3600 m to 3610 m). They attributed the damage to unexpected rainfall and a sudden drop in temperature while the premix carpet was being laid. The remaining carpeted stretch reportedly meets standard PMGSY guidelines.
To fix the issue, the field engineer has directed the contractor to rip up and completely re-lay the defective 10-meter patch. Moving forward, the government is taking strict measures to ensure quality control. Officials from the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department will now be permanently stationed at the site to monitor daily progress and report back until the road is fully finished.
Report based on IPR inputs
