Monday, April 28, 2025

Cabinet to discuss PHE scandal

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The Meghalaya PHE Minister, Mr Salseng C Marak has said that the govt would not hesitate to take appropriate action against those involved in the multi-crore racket in the PHE Jowai Division.

He told the Shillong Times on May 4 that he would enlighten the cabinet some time next week about the actual affair. The Govt would await the report of the official enquiry committee set-up for going into the details of the scandal. “We shall have to do something” he said.

The Minister stated that since the Jowai division was left at the disposal of the Minister of State, Mr Nihon Kshih, he was not much in the know of things. “Nobody brought the matter to my attention until there was an Assembly question during the last session of the Assembly” he added. Sources said that towards the beginning of April the Chief Secretary, Mrs P P Trivedi in a confidential note to the PHE Minister had also drawn his attention to the “disquieting reports” from the Jowai Division.

Asked about the bunch of recommendatory chits sent by Ministers to the involved executive engineer, Mr Marak said “as politicians we have to do this sometimes.” He did not think it to be an unusual practice, but felt that it was not obligatory on the part of any officer to accommodate all such “letters of introduction.”

In another development, the Estimates Committee has constituted a sub-committee to review the working of the PHE Department. The sub-committee is headed by Mr Winston Syiemiong. The other members are: Mr Roster M Sangma, Mr B M Lanong and Mr B Choudhury. The body has already begun functioning from May 4.

The PHE Department has lately been reshuffled with the Chief Engineer, Mr P Arunachalam transferred and posted as Chairman, Pollution Board. Mr H R Nath has been appointed as Additional Chief Engineer who has been vested with all powers of the Chief Engineer. Besides, some district-level postings and transfers have also been effected to refurbish the image of the Department.

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