State may seek Centre’s help

Fund cut hits GSWSS implementation, says Ampareen

SHILLONG: The Urban Affairs and PHE departments are contemplating to jointly take up the issue of deduction of fund meant for Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III with the Centre.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge PHE Prof RC Laloo and Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh are likely to meet Union Minister for Urban Development to brief him about the deduction of fund, which has affected the implementation of the project.
Indicating this, Ampareen Lyngdoh on Sunday said, “Both of us (Prof Laloo and Ampareen) will seek the Union Minister’s intervention on the matter.”
“But I am not very sure in what way the Centre can bail us out from this situation,” she said.
Ampareen also informed that they would also urge Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to arrange fund from other sources to complete the project.
The inability of the State Government to conduct Municipal elections in the State has hit the overall implementation of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) (Phase III) under the JNNURM after the Central Government decided to cut the 2nd installment of fund to the State by 10 per cent.
“We are trying to arrange for fund to meet the shortfall of Rs 17 crore (deducted amount),” the Urban Affairs Minister said.
While informing that the implementation of the various component of project is still continuing, she however informed that they will require the amount which was deducted for construction of the reservoir in the four strategic points of the city.
“These reservoirs will be used for storage of water to be drawn from the main reservoir of Mawphlang,” she said.
It may be mentioned here PHE department, which is implementing the project, had earlier fixed March, 2015 as deadline for completion of the project.
According to her, cut in fund will definitely delay the completion.