From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: With construction work yet to begin, the Iawmusiang market project site has become a dumping ground of sorts. Reacting to the same, the lone opposition member of the JHADC, Moonlight Pariat expressed disappointment over the delay in the project in Jaintia hills which was funded by the Ministry of DoNER way back in 2001.
“It is sad to see that the Iawmusiang project failed to take off despite the approval and sanction of the Ministry of DoNER”, Pariat said adding that the delay has badly affected the JHADC, in terms of cost escalation of the project, apart from the local traders and the general public of the district as a whole.
Pariat was also concerned over the callous dumping of waste at the market site. “Who will take the responsibility if an epidemic breaks out”, he questioned while suggesting that the Executive Members in charge of the Civil Work Department (CWD) and the market department should immediately inspect the site.
Earlier, replying to Pariat’s query about the commencement of the project during the Summer Session of the House the Executive Member in charge JHADC CWD, Dunno Nongpluh said that the state PWD has issued a Preliminary Work Order to the contractor, GM Lanong and AHIL Construction and the work is expected to start very soon.
Speaking to this scribe after the Session on Thursday, Pariat alleged that the delay is the doing of the Congress both in the JHADC and State level.
Delayed by many years now, the Ministry of DoNER had sanctioned Rs 20.09 crore including 7 per cent agency charge for the Iawmusiang market project. The first instalment of Rs 6.33 crore was released in July 2009 for the project to take off.
However, after the National Building Construction Company (NBCC) resisted the launch of the the project despite the signing of MoU, the JHADC handed it over to the State PWD in August 2009. Since then, the department has failed to start the construction work due to great variation in rate schedule prepared and approved in the original Detail Project Report (DPR)
According to the JHADC chief, Lamdibok Sumer, the delay is due to escalation of the project and the PWD has to re-estimate the project cost.
“The PWD has revised the estimate amounting to the tune of Rs. 44.53 crore”, Sumer said. He also informed that the JHADC could not bear the extra amount and approached the DoNER for the same.
“After the visit of the DoNER Minister, a meeting was held at New Delhi attended by Dr. RC Laloo and Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Vincent H Pala. The Ministry has restricted the estimate as it is unofficial to revise the approved estimate.
“As per the restriction, the proposed seven storey supper market complex will be reduced to a three-storey one- the ground floor, the first floor and the basement”, Sumer informed.
The PWD has also submitted the working estimate of Rs. 24.81 crore for the G+1 and its basement and the extra expenditure will be borne by the JHADC assisted by the State Government and the Ministry of DoNER.