Maharashtra villagers 'lift' road with bare hands to reveal shoddy work; watch

Roads are meant for traveling, but a group of villagers have managed to “lift” a section of it up. A video showing a group of villagers in Maharashtra “lifting” a poorly constructed road, which then folded like a carpet, has caused a stir on social media. The incident has sparked widespread criticism regarding the quality of development projects. According to reports, the road was constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) scheme.

The clip showcases villagers lifting the new road effortlessly with their hands, peeling back the fresh asphalt to expose what appears to be a flimsy carpet-like material underneath. The incident took place in Jalna.

The villagers have accused local contractor Rana Thakur of executing shoddy work. They claim that the road's foundation consisted of a thin cloth carpet onto which asphalt was poured and levelled to create the illusion of a new road. The road’s unstable and shaky nature was revealed by the villagers, who managed to hold the entire thing up.

https://twitter.com/Cow__Momma/status/1663762965785620480

As the video went viral, many users expressed astonishment and disbelief at the poor quality of the road. “These guys will soon be arrested by the government for destroying public property. The Contractors and Supervisors will go scot-free,” a user wrote.

https://twitter.com/sandeeproy1/status/1664130383422820353

Another jokingly called it a “black carpet for VIPs”.

https://twitter.com/Shahul56638433/status/1663767913415995392

Some gave a hilarious spin to the phrase “road carpet”.

https://twitter.com/TweetitSRG/status/1663767159263354881

“Innovation in corruption,” was how one account termed the incident.

https://twitter.com/advanitom/status/1663782125156569088

Another sarcastically labeled it as a "factory-made road" and questioned the authenticity of the construction.

https://twitter.com/ankjo/status/1663791227291209733

“Till now I used to think that the government does patch work on the roads but now I have come to know about the mat work”, an account remarked.

https://twitter.com/Khushboosayys/status/1663846670407434243

But, one person said that the carpet-like cloth might have been the water-proofing layer instead. “I think they have pulled out the waterproofing layer .. instead of CARPET..,” the tweet read.

https://twitter.com/yadsul/status/1663806276768514048

Waterproofing layer or not, the video does serve as a stark reminder of the dire condition of the road in Maharashtra's Jalna district.