SHILLONG: Four citizens’ groups, including the Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) led by Agnes Kharshiing, have demanded CBI inquiry into the functioning of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) that has failed miserably in ensuring unhindered water supply in the city.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, lawyer and social worker Erwin Sutnga said, “The failure of the Public Health Engineering Department can only be attributed to rampant corruption within the said department and has to be investigated by an independent agency like the CBI.”
Sutnga is also the president of the Societal Action against Human Trafficking, Drug Abuse and Social Problems.
The demand for an inquiry comes at a time when an RTI reply revealed that despite spending crores of rupees on two major projects – the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) and the Umlyngka Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) – the government could not tide over the crisis.
The amount spent on GSWSS so far is over Rs 130 crore (Rs 130,12,16,429) and that on UWSS is over Rs 42 lakh (Rs 42,18,163).
While the 2015-16 report of the Estimate Committee of State Legislative Assembly had indicted PHED and its officials, the reply to the RTI, filed by CSWO’s Kharshiing says otherwise.
“This is a blatant disregard to public as these are officials paid by the government and so much money has been spent. It is failure on the part of the government and an inquiry has to be initiated,” she said.
Alleging the involvement of former Chief Engineer of PHE, S.K. Sunn, for the delay in implementing GSWSS and UWSS, she said, “The person might even stand for elections and it is up to the wisdom of the people if they bring in such a person, then they are doomed.”
She asserted that blue pipes are protruding onto the surface which will have to be put a few meters or feet down, she said.
Referring to the report of the Committee, she said no action was taken by the government.
Earlier at the press conference, Sutnga said, “Chronic shortage of water supply in the state points to a large scale deficiency of (water) supply leading to gross violation of human rights.”
He called for a protest by those suffering in this situation.
Moreover, he demanded that immediate action be taken by the government on the report of the Estimates Committee. He added that the service rendered by the Urban Affairs Department through the Shillong Municipal Board is inadequate and deficient resulting in grievous hardship to the people has to be probed and responsibility fixes with appropriate disciplinary and/or criminal action against those responsible.
“In view of the serious situation these demands must be met within eight days of the public announcement,” he said and dared the State to answer queries in the Committee report.
When asked on the usual stand of legislators that the issue has been raised due to political agenda, Sutnga said, “I have brought this issue because people have been suffering for two months and if it is a political issue then it must be taken to its logical conclusion.”
On the allegations that Sunn has disproportionate assets, he said, “We don’t want to make any wild allegations and we demand a CBI inquiry. Although we know many things and all these will be unearthed in the inquiry,” he added.
“We are going to follow it up and if the fault is of one man’s then he should face the consequences,” he added.
