Defect in road construction; Minister Mohammed Riyas's direct intervention; officials suspended and transferred

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister Mohammed Riyas has taken action against the officials after finding defects in road construction. A serious lapse was found in the construction of the Vembayam-Cheeranikkara road in Thiruvananthapuram district. Overseer Mohammad Raji and Assistant Engineer Amalraj were suspended. In connection with the incident, another engineer, Sajith, was transferred from the district. Apart from this, the license of contractor Sumesh Mohan was also cancelled.

The Vembayam-Cheeranikkara road had collapsed shortly after its construction. The locals took pictures of this and submitted the complaint along with the pictures to the department minister. The investigation was then handed over to the Vigilance Division of the Public Works Department. The minister took action against the officials and the contractor on the basis of the investigation report.

The locals alleged that the road was tarred without removing any soil and mud and without fixing the ground. A video was taken of the tarring on the road peeling off into several pieces. It was widely circulated on social media. The locals say that the tarring was collapsing due to the movement of the soil underneath.