Kayamganj, Uttar Pradesh: A warehouse built at a cost of crores for sugar storage at the cooperative sugar mill could not withstand even a single rainfall. District Magistrate Dr V.K. Singh expressed his displeasure on this. He ordered the suspension of payment to the contractor responsible for the construction, reports Amar Ujala.
The warehouse, with a capacity of 5,000 metric tons, was built at the Kisan Cooperative Sugar Mill. The construction contract was awarded for ₹2.5 crore, and the contractor handed over the completed warehouse to the sugar mill in April 2023. The sugar produced this season was stored in the new warehouse. However, the structure failed to endure the first rainfall, with tin sheds leaking in multiple places and signs of seepage appearing on the walls.
During an inspection on Saturday, Dr. V.K. Singh noticed the poor condition of the newly built warehouse and immediately ordered repairs. He also instructed that payments to the construction agency be withheld until the issues were resolved.
General Manager Kuldeep Singh said the construction agency had already been paid ₹2 crore, and ₹50 lakh was pending. He said the amount would not be released without the repairs. He added that fortunately, the sugar had not been damaged as yet, and also pointed to negligence on the part of the warehouse in charge.
