Villagers of Samasnari and its vicinity in Karamja Union of Santhia Upazila of Pabna are repairing the two-kilometer road from Samasnari Purbapara to Bagjan through voluntary work.
The locals of LGED, local UP chairman and other government departments have not been able to work on this neglected road.
On the other hand, this road is surveyed every year even though it is under Santhia upazila but it is not included in the LGD ID for unknown reasons. As a result, the road has been lying like this for 25 long years.
Talking to the local, it is learned that the road from Samasnari Purbapara in Ward 9 of Karamja Union to Bagjan was constructed about 25 years ago. This road is the main means of transportation for the residents of about 7/8 villages including Samasnari, Bagjan, Kushiyara, Tarapur and Paikarhati.
About two kilometres long, some parts of the road are paved with bricks and most of it is unpaved. Since the road has not been repaired since its construction, every year when it rains, the soil of the road collapses and different parts of the road collapse. As a result, this road became unusable for locals.
They have repeatedly called on the local people's representatives and various government departments to pave the road and repair it. As there was no response, they finally took the initiative to repair it themselves. Led by local Juba League leader Moniruzzaman Milon, the villagers of Samasnari first raised money from among themselves and encouraged the residents of other villages to repair the road as well.
For the past five days, residents of neighbouring villages, including Samasnari, have been collecting donations and running a volunteer camp every day. Hundreds of people completed the road repair work on Thursday.
Moniruzzaman Milon, a Karmaja UP Juba League leader from Samasnari village, who inspired the road reform, said, "We have sworn to many to repair the road. I went to the Upazila LGD office myself.
They assured me but did not reform. In the end, we are helpless and we are repairing the road by voluntarily buying the necessary equipment. So far we have spent about 35 thousand taka. A lot more money is needed to repair the whole two kilometers.
Karamja Union Parishad chairman Hossain Ali Bagchi said the road was under LGED's purview. I have already informed the LGED Upazila Office for repairing the road.’
LGED Santhia Upazila Office Engineer. Shahidullah said that although the road is in Karamja union of Santhia upazila, it is under the jurisdiction of LGED's Bera office. When the people of the area came to my office, I explained the matter to them.
