SHILLONG: Forest Minister Prestone Tynsong’s recent remark that the Syndai Park project at Indo-Bangladesh border is a closed chapter has come under scanner as the project has not even been completed yet.
The project of the Centre is still in abandoned stage and the State Government is yet to make it clear to the Centre about the status of the project, sources said.
An official source said that it was the Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and the Border Area Development (BAD), Department of Government of Meghalaya which decided to develop the park at the historical place, Syndai in 2002-03 at a cost of Rs.60 lakh and as the first instalment for the work Rs .30.608 lakh was released to the BAD department by the Centre.
The Forest department came into picture as the BAD decided to execute the scheme through the Social Forestry wing of the State Forest Department. Then followed the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the project.
The present status of the project is that wild bushes have covered all the areas making it inaccessible. The chain link fencing of boundary has rusted and other materials constructed have also become dilapidated and inaccessible to any visitor.
The purpose of the project was to promote tourism in the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border.
According to the villagers, there is hardly any tourist visiting the park as it is in an abandoned stage.
Earlier in March 2011, the State Government had been asked to pay Rs 10,000 by the Gauhati High Court for its delay in submitting an affidavit on the progress of investigation into the alleged scam in construction of Syndai Park.
Moreover in another order, the Gauhati High Court on December 12, 2011 among others had asked the State Government to revive the Syndai Park scheme. The compliance of the State Government was to be reported to the Court on October 25, 2011.
In contrary to the facts of misappropriation of funds meant for the project, Tynsong, who also holds Border Area Development department, recently claimed that “not even a single penny meant for the project has been diverted or misappropriated.”
If the Forest Minister considers that there is no scam in the project, questions are being raised as to whether the second instalment of Rs 30 lakh was released by the Central Government after accepting the Utilization Certificate and progress report of the first instalment?
There is lack of clarity from both the Border Area Development and Forest Department regarding the sanctioned works which are shoddy and incomplete.
According to sources, the State Government has failed to give permission for prosecution of the guilty and also did not follow up the case so that officials, who are involved in the scam, are given exemplary punishment.
It was under the directions of the Gauhati High Court that the state CID had inquired into the matter and subsequently a police report was submitted to the Gauhati High Court citing criminal acts committed as far as the Syndai Park project is concerned which are punishable under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.
The State Government has neither fixed responsibility for criminal wastage of Central Government’s funds nor for massive financial and procedural bungling in the execution of the project, sources added.