SHILLONG: Expenditure of several crores of rupees incurred by the Assembly Secretariat even before construction of the new Assembly marks the 13th anniversary of destruction of the heritage Assembly at Police Bazar.
It was on January 9,2001, exactly 13 years ago, that the old Assembly at Police Bazar was gutted by fire.
The cost for conducting the judicial inquiry by Justice (retd) TC Das to ascertain the cause of fire was Rs 2,87,210.
Though the inquiry report blamed negligence on the part of the Assembly staff for the incident, no action was taken by the Assembly Secretariat.
Over the years , the Assembly Secretariat under several high power committees committed blunders in the name of constructing the House.
Soon after the Assembly was gutted by fire, the then Speaker ED Marak and the High Power Committee of 2001-02 awarded the construction work at the cost of Rs 26.62 crore to a firm run by Caroline Pala without calling tender to construct the new Assembly at Police Bazaar. Soil testing was also carried out by the firm.
Later, when there was a change of plan by High Power Committee to construct the Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang in 2004, the same firm was allotted work at the cost of Rs 20.55 crore without calling tender and the Assembly Secretariat also paid over Rs 2.14 crore to the firm though the entire building was not constructed. The report of the CAG had already pulled up Assembly Secretariat for the mess up as the tender was called only for consultancy work.
As there was protest, the High Power Committee in 2005 changed the site from Mawdiandiang to PWD Complex at Barik point and in the beginning of 2005, the Assembly asked the same firm to stall the work at Mawdiandiang.
However, after the firm submitted a bill of Rs 2.14 crore on March 10,2005 for works already carried out at Mawdiandiang, the Assembly Secretariat paid the amount to the firm in December 2009 as per the CAG report.
Interestingly, on December 8, 2006, when Congress legislator Martin M Danggo was the Speaker, the then Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob laid the foundation stone for the new Assembly building at Upper Shillong incurring an expenditure of Rs 33 lakh in the presence of JD Rymbai, who was the Chief Minister.
In the budget speech of the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for the year, 2012-13, there was reference to earmarking of Rs 20 crore for the construction of the new Assembly building at Tara Ghar. After the Meghalaya High Court stayed the proposal at Tara Ghar following a PIL, the Government has not identified a new site. It was in 2010 that the GAD had handed over the land measuring 6.5 acres at Tara Ghar for the construction of the new Assembly.
End of last year, the State Government had also sought funds worth several crores of rupees from 14th finance commission. The status of the construction of the new building now is while Assembly Speaker AT Mondal had sought land from the Government, the latter is yet to form a search committee to identify the suitable land.
13 years on, money and proposals wasted
- TC Das Judicial Inquiry Commission to ascertain cause of fire (Rs 2,87,210).
- Payment to firm run by Caroline Pala for construction at Mawdiangdiang (Rs 2.14 crore)
- Cost of foundation stone for Assembly building at Upper Shillong in 2006: (Rs 33 lakh)
- Assembly in 2002 makes estimates of Rs 26.62 crore for construction at Police Bazar
- Assembly in 2004 projects estimate of Rs 20.55 crore to construct building at Mawdiangdiang.
- 2012-13 budget speech of CM Mukul Sangma: “For construction of new Assembly building, an amount of Rs.20 crore has been earmarked
- End of 2013: Meghalaya Government makes proposal for funds under 14th finance commission