In an incident shedding the light on the sad state of road construction in Uttar Pradesh, an MLA slammed a coconut to inaugurate a road made with Rs. 1.6 crores. However, he ended up cracking open a small section of the road instead of the coconut. While this is something that may sound like a satirical sketch, it is a real incident involving BJP MLA Suchi Chaudhary. According to reports, a 7.5 km road was constructed in UP’s Bijnore district’s Kheda Azipura village by the irrigation department. As Hindu tradition dictates, a coconut was slammed on the road to mark the beginning of the new chapter in the road’s life. However, things turned for a comical twist when the road showed cracks.

Contents hide
1. Background
2. The Facts of the Matter
3. MLA Sits on Dharna After Embarrassing Inauguration
4. “Coconut Didn’t Break, Bits of Road Came Off”
5. “Materials Used Are As Per Standard”: Department Denies Allegations

Background

Much akin to the ‘Gujarat model’ that highlighted the state’s infrastructural progress, the ‘UP Model’ has been dubbed as the ‘next big thing’.

In 2020, as the COVID-19 lockdown eased, UP government restarted projects involving road and bridge construction worth over Rs. 31,400 crores, according to a Business Standard report.

These construction projects promised influx of capital in the state, and giving employment opportunities to the locals. As many as 1,900 projects were restarted under UP’s PWD, Bridge Corporation, and the Rajkiya Nirman Nigam.

While on paper the numbers may seem impressive, on grassroot level, there’s a lot to be desired in the state. Recently, an incident shed the light on what still needs to be worked on in the state.

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The Facts of the Matter

In an incident where comedy and tragedy overlapped, a BJP MLA faced major disappointment in Uttar Pradesh. In Bijnor, the inauguration ceremony of a road went hilariously wrong when the road’s upper layer cracked open instead of the proverbial coconut.

MLA Sits on Dharna After Embarrassing Inauguration

The MLA in question was BJP’s Suchi Chaudharay. Reportedly, the UP government had allocated Rs. 1.6 crores for the construction work of a 7.5 kilometer section of a road in a village in Bijnor. When the thick-skinned coconut failed to crack open and the road was damaged, MLA sat on a dharna. The furious BJP MLA refused to budge till the culprits were booked. Soon, the District Magistrate issued a probe in the construction of the particular section of road.

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“Coconut Didn’t Break, Bits of Road Came Off”

A Times of India report quoted MLA Suchi saying, “The irrigation department is building a seven-km road in Bijnor’s Haldaur for Rs 1.16 crore. Around 700 meters of the stretch is already complete. I was asked to inaugurate the road on Thursday but when I got there and tried to break a coconut, it did not break. But bits of the road came off.”

She further added that she found the materials used in the construction of the section of road to be sub-standard. A 3-member team was also rushed to the location who then collected the samples for testing, she added.

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“Materials Used Are As Per Standard”: Department Denies Allegations

Meanwhile, like most matters in India, the irrigation department chose to deny the allegations made by the BJP MLA. Vikas Agarwal, the engineer associated with the Bijnor irrigation department claimed that the allegations made by MLA Suchi were false. “We had invited the local MLA to inaugurate the road which is yet to be fully laid. Materials used are as per standard. We have set up a committee to look into the complaint. We need to wait for the findings,” he was quoted saying.

The incident comes at a time when the BJP government is leaving no stone unturned to put spotlight on the development UP has seen under its government. The state elections are scheduled to happen in early 2022 and the ‘UP Model’ is one of the chief selling points for the CM Yogi Adityanath’s government.