Shillong, May 16: Even viral reports and videos in the social media as well as print and electronic media about ‘shoddy’ construction of the recently inaugurated Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in the city have attracted sharp criticism from various quarters in the state, a concerned resident of the city has urged the Lokayukta in the State to institute a probe to unearth the facts and factors leading to the such a sorry state of affairs in the ISBT building.
Angela Rangad, the concerned citizen in question, has lodged a complaint in black and white with the Lukayukta under the Meghalaya Lukayukta Act, 2004 requesting for an investigation by the office of Lukayukta into the ‘anomalies’ in the construction of the Rs 48-crore ISBT complex where major cracks have developed even though it is hardly one-year-old.
The Rs 48-crore ISBT project was executed by Meghalaya State Public Works Department (PWD) and was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in July, 2021 and became functional only six weeks ago.
The Lukayukta has been urged to focus the investigation into following aspects:
–Lackadaisical superintendence of the construction by the Public Servants of State PWD over the contractors and construction agencies of the project.
— Failure of the Transport Department, Government of Meghalaya, to examine the structural integrity of the construction before handing over of the project.
— Corrupt practices by the contractor/construction company in executing this public infrastructure project.
— Conflict of interests in execution of the project.