SHILLONG: In the wake of water shortage in several parts of the city, member of the Estimate Committee and Nongthymmai MLA Jemino Mawhtoh has slammed the PHE Department for the inordinate delay in the commissioning of the phase III of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS).
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Thursday, Mawthoh said that the Estimate Committee had in the past summoned the officials of the department over the delay in the commissioning of the project which is still far from over.
“When I asked in the Assembly the reason for the delay, it was informed that the Government could not fulfil certain reforms which led to a cut of Rs 17 crore in the estimate thus delaying the project,” Mawthoh said.
While terming the implementation of the scheme as tardy, Mawthoh rued that the project is moving at a slow pace even though Shillong is facing water scarcity. According to the UDP legislator, the delay is unacceptable since the department had promised that the project will be commissioned this year. Replying to a query on whether scams/irregularities are responsible for the delay, Mawthoh said, “Some problems are there in the project and things are not being implemented properly which is making people suspicious.”
It may be mentioned that the sudden announcement of former PHE chief engineer SK Sunn to contest the Assembly polls has raised many an eyebrow.
He said that there were several instances of useless expenditures and even the pipes are still lying on the road side in many areas of the city. “PHE engineers are not doing their job properly and they have failed miserably in the project,” he added.
UDP will raise the issue again during in the upcoming Budget session starting next month, Mawthoh said.
According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India report, the delay in the completion of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme Phase-III led to unnecessary expenditure of Rs 131.84 crore.
The report also revealed that Meghalaya was deprived of additional Central assistance of Rs 17.41 crore due to the failure in implementing the reforms as per the JNNURM time frame.
