TURA: An organisation in North Garo Hills has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify on the central fund that was allotted to the state for road construction in the region.
In a letter to Modi, the A’chik Indigenous Justice Initiative Forum (AIJIF) referred to BJP national president Amit Shah’s speech at Tikrikilla earlier this month and sought details of the fund sanctioned.
Shah was in Garo Hills on January 6 to drum up support for party candidate from Tikrikilla KC Boro. He had said Rs 9,000 crore was sanctioned for the Agia-Mendipathar-Tura road and Rs 2,800 crore for Mankachar-Mahendraganj road. He put the total amount released at Rs 31,211 crore after adding other central projects to the list.
Shah had also claimed that under the 14th Finance Commission, the Centre sanctioned Rs 25,413 crore for Meghalaya.
“If we add the two together, the amount will be over Rs 56,000 crore. However, Shah said the first amount was sanctioned for the Agia-Mendipathar-Tura Road ) which to our knowledge does not exist. A road from Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura exists and as per the detailed project report of Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura road and Mankachar-Mahendraganj road it has been ascertained that the total amount sanctioned by the North Eastern Council is approximately Rs 100 crore and Rs 28.674 crore, respectively,” AIJIF said.
Stating that Shah’s speech raises questions on accountability, the forum urged Modi to give a clear account “so that the people of the state can be enlightened”.
