SHILLONG: The State Government has incurred an expenditure of Rs 6.91 crore for the past five years for engaging several agencies as consultants for various projects under Basin Development.
In a written reply tabled in the House on Wednesday in response to a question by UDP’s Donkupar Roy on the number of consultants for Meghalaya Basin Development Authority and Basin Management Agency, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “The agencies have been engaged over the last five years at a total cost of Rs. 6.91 crore.
“Most of these agencies are public sector institutions and some of them have done work on pro bono basis.”
According to the chief minister, the agencies have been engaged as consultants from time to time for assistance in planning and implementation of externally aided projects, providing knowledge services to Government departments and implementing various missions under Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme.
These agencies include North East Applications Centre, Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium, West Bengal Consulting (India) Limited, Indian Institute of Bank Management, Agricultural Finance Corporation Limited, NABARD Consultancy Services, Intown Solutions, Academy of Management Studies, Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation Development Research Foundation, Annadana Soil & Seed Savers, Network Synergy Technofin Pvt Ltd, National Institute of Smart Governance, Price Water House Cooper, SENES Consultants India, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning.
To a question on how many of these studies were implemented, the chief minister said the documentations were for planning programmes to avail funds for externally aided projects such as Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP) which aims at formation of integrated village cooperative societies.
The project is not only confined to livelihood but also aims at creating marketing facilities.
