Editor,
The editorial “Bombshell from CAG” (ST August 17, 2023) made interesting reading. It is difficult to say whether the CAG report is fair and accurate as the Ministry says that the “Auditor’s report did not take into account the cost of building bridges and tunnels, and the cost of land acquisition that form a major part of the 28.9 km Dwarka Expressway project. CAG has itself noted that the cost of construction of Rs 18.2 crore per kilometre does not include the cost norms for flyovers, ring roads, etc. They are of the view that the expressway in question has elevated roads, underpasses, tunnels and other components which were not part of the project”. But there are issues that the CAG flagged on the Bharatmala Project in the Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
Irregularities flagged by CAG
The CAG report on Bharatmala project, which was tabled in Parliament last week, has flagged several irregularities in the awarding and implementation of the project. Some of the major findings of the report are:
- The project cost has increased by 65% from Rs. 5.35 lakh crore to Rs. 8.84 lakh crore due to changes in the scope, specifications, and land acquisition rates.
- The project authorities have selected ineligible bidders based on falsified documents or without fulfilling tender conditions, resulting in undue favour to some contractors and loss to the exchequer.
- The project authorities have not followed the prescribed procedures for preparing feasibility reports, detailed project reports, and cost estimates, leading to errors and inconsistencies.
- The project authorities have not ensured timely completion of land acquisition, utility shifting, forest clearance, and environmental clearance, causing delays and cost escalation.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has refuted some of the findings of the CAG report, especially regarding the cost hike of the Dwarka Expressway, which was attributed to a 13-fold increase in land acquisition rates. The ministry has also claimed that the CAG report has not taken into account the benefits of the project in terms of improved connectivity, reduced travel time, and enhanced economic activity. However, sources in the Road Transport Ministry revealed to PTI that the “project cost was much higher than the established cost structure.” The problem is that when there are “no cost norms for flyovers, ring roads etc.,” then there is room for manipulating the cost of the project. The issues flagged by CAG cannot be wished away. Let us not forget that the Prime Minister who calls himself a “Pradhan Sevak” (Prime Server) had in 2014 said “NA KHAUNGA, NA KHANE DUNGA”. Now the ball is in the court of the government and it is for the Ministry to submit their comments on the issue to CAG as and whenever it comes up for discussion in the Public Accounts Committee.
Yours etc.,
V K Lyngdoh,
Via email
Suffering students
Khasi women then and now
Editor,
I would like to thank Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh for his write-up “India’s Independence: Khasi Women in the Political Discourse,” and for sharing an extract of the memorandum, dt. June 24, 1947 signed by the collective of Khasi women. The memorandum was so well articulated that it has left me in awe of these women’s intelligence and far sightedness.
Till date we are still a very strong matrilineal society and are proud of drawing our lineage from our mothers. Of course there are some who wish otherwise but I for one will never exchange it for anything in the world. I hope I echo the sentiments of many of my Khasi-Jaintia brethren. Women then and more so today engage in trade and business and make good and profitable decisions to sustain and enhance their businesses. It must not be forgotten that women are also taking care of the children, every member in the family alongside handling household chores. At this juncture, I would like to bring to mind the demand of the Synjuk ki Seng Kynthei. I agree with them of the need to permit women to be part of the local Dorbar Shnong. Yes, customs and traditions have never had women as part of such Dorbars but we need to move along with the times and acknowledge the fact that women play an integral part not only at home but also at work. Some juggle home and work very well. Certainly, women do not want to surpass men but to have an equitable access to resources and power sharing.
To come back to the memorandum, these women were so conscious of the need to allow us to uphold our traditional institutions and exercise our rights. Above all, the far sightedness of these women needs to be acknowledged as they remind us of how impossible it is for us to live in isolation. The camaraderie that we share with our neighbours illustrates the truth of how much we need to coexist and become more tolerant of one another. Yes, even after 76 years of the nation’s independence and 50 years of our statehood we are still not self- sufficient and are dependent on other neighbouring states. These women have such great sense and insight of our state and its people that I echo Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh when he concludes that we need to revisit the role that women have in the political arena of our state. Let the unheard voices be heard!
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
10 Million Dollar Jumla
Editor,
Any average thinking person will smell a rat, when, not the moon, but heaven is promised to us with schemes and missions having fancy names like ” Elevate,” ” Focus,” “Lamp” and what have you which promise to create 5 lakh jobs or to develop entrepreneurship, Tourism, Agriculture, etc. This surely is a gigantic con system of semantics and arithmetic. Some people may detect a stink when it comes to the above schemes and missions but I think the biggest stink bomb should be the promise of a $ 10 billion economy. In this regard, let me raise a hypothetical question: What will a $ 10 billion economy for a population of 30 lakhs mean for an ordinary Meghalayan? The answer is that this ordinary Meghalayan will have a per capita income pie of Rs.2,77,000 approximately. This seems great but let us have a reality check. According to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, Government of India, Meghalaya’s per capita income presently stands at Rs.98,572. The question is, will Meghalaya be able to raise its per capita income by almost 3 times which will require a rate of growth of more than 30% per annum in the next 5 years? Highly unlikely because according to the above Ministry’s statistics, the average rate of growth of our state’s Gross State Domestic Product stands at 7.76% in the last 9 years also ranking it at 32nd place among 33 states and UTs.
Another important point: This promise of a $ 10 billion economy is proposed to be achieved without having a comprehensive, unified Economic Policy which means that we don’t have a plan or a vision. This resembles a scenario when blind men try to follow other blind men who themselves are stumbling in a dark alley which leads nowhere.
Under the above circumstances, it seems that the $ 10 billion economy is a Jumla or false dream being sold to make us somehow forget our present nightmare. It also seems that most of us believe in this Jumla because only a few people are raising questions. By the time we wake up, if ever, elections will be at hand and for meagre amounts, we may again vote for the same sweet talking merchants of dreams.
Yours etc.,
Samuel Swett,
Shillong-2