CSWO alleges scam in Sutnga road projects

SHILLONG: The CSWO along with media persons and village heads of Sutnga on Wednesday verified the condition of the 3-km Sutnga Bypass and found that less than 500 metres have been constructed and that too without following proper procedures of road construction despite the fact that an amount of Rs.1 crore was sanctioned for each kilometre of road.
The road condition is so pathetic that even small vehicles cannot pass through it. The CSWO learnt that a police vehicle recently was stuck on the road.
RTI applications filed by the headman of Sutnga, S. Daniel Lyngdoh, and documents obtained thereafter point out that an amount of Rs.2.35 crore was released for construction of the less than 500 metre of road out of the total Rs.3 crore meant for the 3-km stretch.
In addition to this an amount of Rs.10 crore was sanctioned for the Sutnga-Sumer Road from 3 km to 22 km, in East Jaintia Hills in 2012-2013.
Incidentally, RTI documents reveal that the road was completed but physical verification of the said road point to the pathetic construction of road and its existing condition.
In addition to this, another Rs.21 crore was sanctioned for the same road this year under the Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources with a proposed plan to widen the road, paying no attention to the bad construction and misuse of Rs.10 crore sanctioned only 2 years back, the CSWO pointed out.
The contractor, S. Sukhlain, allegedly did not taking permission from land owners and bulldozed the land and also the forest land belonging to the Sutnga Elaka for widening of the road, the CSWO claimed.
Further on verification of the internal roads in Sutnga, for which Rs.58 lakh was released out of about Rs.81 lakh sanctioned for the project, it was observed that the roads were very poorly constructed, the CSWO said.
The CSWO, while lauding the steps taken by the headman in filing the RTI and sharing with the members of the Dorbar Shnong the corruption and partial attitude of the PWD (NEC) Division, demanded action against the corrupt officials who released the funds without verifying the quality of construction work executed by the contractor.