SHILLONG, July 3: The expose by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) of irregularities in the execution of the new assembly building project, the seat of democracy, seems to have set the cat among the pigeons as far the government is concerned. With the irregularities coming to light, the demand for an independent probe, preferably by the Central Bureau of Investigation has surfaced once again.
With the High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Assembly coming under the scanner over the damning allegations, Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh on Sunday said he would examine the letter written by the HYC and sit with the government and do whatever has to be done.
“I will examine the letter submitted by the HYC. I am yet to go through it. I will look into it and maybe I will sit with the government or do whatever has to be done,” Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times.
On the demand for a CBI probe into the project’s cost escalation, Metbah who heads the HPC, said, “Unless I examine the letter how can I come to a conclusion?”
The All India Trinamool Congress seems to have found more ammunition to fire at the National People’s Party-led MDA government over the recent expose. Asserting to take up the latest scam in the state at the highest level, the party has demanded investigation by an independent agency, preferably the CBI.
“This is another feather that has been added to the government’s cap. It is about time people realize that we are seeing a scam in this government almost every month. Who will take the responsibility?” AITC chief whip George B Lyngdoh said on Sunday.
Lauding the whistleblowers for unearthing yet another scam by the MDA government, Lyngdoh said, “We need to get to the bottom of this to find those who are involved in swindling public money. They should be brought to book.”
“How can this happen without the knowledge of powers that be?” he questioned.
He made it clear that the AITC would not accept any corruption in construction of the Assembly, which is the symbol of democracy and power of the people.
It may be recalled that in its letter to the Speaker, the HYC had said the information provided by the office of the chief engineer and the executive engineer of PWD (Buildings) relating to the project raises serious doubts about irregularities, defalcation of funds, money laundering and a serious case of corruption by all parties or departments or officers concerned.
“The proceedings of the HPC on February 21, 2019, and February 28, 2019, as well as the copy of the LOA of March 4, 2019, make it crystal clear that the amount of tender for the work was 21% above the estimated cost and no further escalation will be accepted during the execution stages. This was decided by the HPC and it is one of the conditions written in the GCC,” HYC general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem had said.
The HYC had said it is strange the office of the chief engineer of PWD (Buildings) has no knowledge about any escalation or inflation as evident from its forwarding an RTI application on this to the office of the executive engineer, PWD (Buildings), Shillong Division.
Synrem had said that the office of the executive engineer admitted to an escalation in the project cost, which was now Rs 177.78 crore, out of which Rs 160.3 crore has already been released or paid to the contractor.
The same officer also replied that the original approved cost of Rs 141.15 crore differed from the tender amount of Rs 127.76 crore provided by the office of the chief engineer vide the LOA issued.
“Now the question that begs for an answer is, how did the PWD (B) executive engineer come up with the ‘original approved cost’ when the LOA issued to the UPRNN was Rs 127.76 crore? Who authorised the said PWD (B) executive engineer to change the cost of tender value from the amount provided in the LOA to that of the so-called original approved cost?” Synrem had asked.
