Shillong: Several top officials in charge of districts in the Garo Hills were caught napping at home even as the flood and landslide tragedy was unfolding in the Garo Hills, government sources have revealed.
Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma, has reportedly castigated these officials for being away from their work stations during a meeting with the bureaucrats in Garo Hills on Tuesday, it was reported.
These government officials were reportedly ‘vacationing’ at home in Tura when the tragedy was unfolding in Garo Hills on Sunday despite an alert having already been given about the impending storm a day earlier on Saturday through official communication.
Government sources revealed that the deputy commissioner in charge of East Garo Hills, P M Sangma, was not in station when the floods and landslides began to occur on Sunday. He tried to reach Williamnagar on Monday but was cut off near Chisobibra and had to take a long detour via North Garo Hills.
Similarly, the North Garo Hills magistrates were also alleged to be missing from station when the incident took place and were stuck in a land slide at Anogre-Rari on Monday trying to make it to their work stations.
Even the chief minister’s own home constituency of Ampati was not spared with officials, including a lady additional district magistrate, allegedly being away in Tura.
Given the large number of senior officials ‘absent without leave’ the chief minister could not take action other than to give a ‘word of advice’ to the absentees, it is alleged.