By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Mawprem legislator Manas Chaudhuri on Wednesday raised concern over the shoddy manner the drainage system under the JNNURM Scheme is being implemented in various parts of the city.
“It is really painful that there are many drains being constructed in slipshod and unprofessional manner,” Chaudhuri said during the Question Hour in the Assembly.
Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh disagreed with Chaudhuri by maintaining that she had gone to inspect the draining system taken under JNNURM in various parts of the city and is technically satisfied with the work.
Chaudhuri, however, said that he is ready to show the Urban Affairs Minister if she is interested to see the drains constructed in a very slipshod manner. Replying to the question raised by the Independent legislator, Ampareen said that there has been ten percent cut on some of the important projects under the JNNURM since the State could not comply with the various reforms which has been mandated by the Union Government.
“We have been able to achieve only 19 reforms out of the 23 reforms stipulated by the Centre,” Urban Affairs Minister said.
She, however, informed that the department has requested the State Finance department to augment the funds of the ten per cent cut so that implementation of the various important schemes is not affected while adding that the timeline for completion of all the projects have been extended till 2014. Replying to another question by Chaudhuri on the JNNURM buses, Urban Affairs Minister informed that the average monthly revenue of the Shillong Public Transport Service buses was Rs 22, 69, 797 and the average running cost is Rs 18, 81, 951.
Taking into account the success of these buses, Chaudhuri requested that the department should consider extending the services to the areas which are yet to be covered. He said due to inadequate publicity there are places where the public are not aware about these bus plying in their area. Ampareen however, replied that adequate publicity was done through advertisements in newspapers. The public transport buses under the JNNURM was initially started on July 22 last year with a strength of 40 and later in October, 2011 ten additional buses were added in the operation.