RCC Road Built Over Paver Blocks at Behrampura Cemetery Triggers Corruption Allegations

Fresh allegations of irregularities in civic works have surfaced against the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), with an RCC road constructed inside the Panch Pir cemetery in Behrampura coming under scrutiny for allegedly being built directly over existing paver blocks in violation of engineering norms.

The controversy has raised questions over the quality of public works and whether prescribed construction procedures were ignored during the execution of a project estimated to cost between ₹8 lakh and ₹10 lakh.

Allegations of rule violations

According to allegations made by local residents, the contractor constructed the RCC road without removing the existing paver blocks beneath it.

Engineering experts familiar with civic works said standard procedure requires the existing surface to be removed before laying a new RCC road to ensure structural stability.

Residents have also alleged that only a fraction of the sanctioned project cost may have been spent on the work. These allegations have not been independently verified.

Technical norms allegedly ignored

According to the allegations, several mandatory construction steps were not followed during the execution of the project.

These include:

• No excavation: Engineering norms require excavation of around 10 inches before laying an RCC road.
• No PCC layer: A 4-inch Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) base is ordinarily required after excavation.
• Paver blocks left intact: Instead of removing the existing paver blocks, reinforcement bars were allegedly placed directly over them before concrete was laid.
• Reduced thickness: The road was allegedly constructed with a thickness of 4 inches instead of the prescribed 6 inches.

The allegations suggest these deviations could affect the road's durability.

Concerns over future safety

Residents fear that if the paver blocks beneath the concrete shift or sink over time, the RCC road could also crack or collapse, leading to further expenditure on repairs.

They have questioned whether public funds were utilised in accordance with approved engineering standards.

AMC cites cemetery committee's request

Responding to the controversy, the Additional City Engineer of the South Zone said the cemetery committee had requested that the RCC road be constructed over the existing paver blocks, arguing that the blocks were still in good condition.

However, the official added that if any technical defects or violations of prescribed norms are found during inspection, the road would be reconstructed and appropriate action would be initiated against those found responsible.

The AMC has not yet released the findings of any technical inspection into the work.