Six Officials Suspended Over Ayodhya Waterlogging, High-Level Inquiry Sought

The Uttar Pradesh government has suspended six officials from civic agencies due to severe negligence after road cave-ins and waterlogging occurred at various sections of the newly-constructed Ram Path in Ayodhya. The suspended officials include Dhruv Aggarwal, Anuj Deshwal, and Prabhat Pandey from the Public Works Department (PWD), and Anand Kumar Dubey, Rajendra Kumar Yadav, and Mohammad Shahid from the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam.

On June 23 and June 25, heavy rains led to flooding in about 15 bylanes and streets along the Ram Path. Homes along the road were also submerged, and parts of the 14-kilometre stretch caved in at more than a dozen locations. The newly-elected Lok Sabha MP from Faizabad, Awadhesh Prasad, has demanded a high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the construction of Ram Path and its sewer lines.

Inspection and Demands for Inquiry

Awadhesh Prasad, accompanied by Samajwadi Party district president Parasnath Yadav and his team, inspected the affected areas on Saturday. They visited Shriram Hospital, which was waterlogged, followed by an inspection of the flood-affected roads and bylanes in Ayodhya. Prasad stated that more people are involved in the irregularities than those who have been suspended.

Prasad emphasised that a high-level investigation committee should be formed to conduct a timely investigation. He said, "How many people are responsible, who are responsible, everything must be clear. The action taken against some people is not sufficient. There are more people involved in the irregularities in Ram Path construction."

Impact on Ayodhya's Reputation

Prasad expressed concern over the poor construction quality of Ram Path, stating that it has brought shame to Ayodhya. He mentioned that if the roads were well constructed, there would be no need to fill potholes. "People from all over the world come to Ayodhya. The poor construction of Ram Path has brought shame for all of us," he said.

Shriram Hospital was found to be full of mud and dirt, with a foul smell permeating the area. Prasad noted that the disturbances in Ram Path have tarnished the name of Ram. "The name of Ram is being brought into disrepute due to the disturbances in the Ram Path," he added.

Official Actions and Further Investigations

The suspensions were ordered by various authorities: Dhruv Aggarwal and Anuj Deshwal were suspended on orders from special secretary Vinod Kumar on Friday; Prabhat Pandey's suspension was issued by PWD chief engineer VK Srivastav; and Rakesh Kumar Mishra, managing director of Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, issued suspension orders for Anand Kumar Dubey, Rajendra Kumar Yadav, and Mohammad Shahid.

Additionally, a notice has been issued to Ahmedabad-based contractor Bhuvan Infracom Private Limited regarding their involvement in this matter. The PWD office order highlighted that the upper-most layer of Ram Path was damaged shortly after construction, indicating laxity in work and damaging the state's image among common people.

PWD principal secretary Ajay Chauhan confirmed that further investigations are underway to address these issues comprehensively.