By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 20: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has submitted a petition to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, urging the recall of a recent order for distributing corrugated aluminium roofing sheets to various Community & Rural Development (C&RD) Blocks across Meghalaya. The petition calls for immediate action regarding the quality of the supplied materials.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem reported receiving multiple complaints about the poor quality of the aluminium roofing sheets distributed to beneficiaries in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
“We conducted an inquiry and visited several C&RD Blocks to verify these complaints. We discovered that sheets supplied by Hariana Iron Works Pvt. Ltd, Kolkata, are substandard and not suitable for use,” Synrem stated.
According to Synrem, the Directorate of Housing, Meghalaya, had ordered sheets with a thickness of 0.45 mm, which is the standard for good quality. However, the supplied sheets are only about 0.25 mm thick.
“These low-quality sheets are not fit for roofing animal sheds, let alone human houses,” he said.
The HYC is demanding an immediate halt to the distribution of the defective roofing sheets and their recall from all C&RD Blocks in the state. The petition also calls for an inquiry into the procurement process, citing potential misuse of public funds. “An inquiry should be conducted to identify those responsible for the procurement of these substandard materials,” Synrem insisted.
The HYC also demanded that Hariana Iron Works Pvt. Ltd. be blacklisted from future dealings with the state. They have called for actions against the Director of the Directorate of Housing and any officers involved in accepting the substandard goods without proper verification.
“If no immediate action is taken, we will be forced to protest against this misuse of public money,” warned Synrem. He further suggested appointing a nodal officer to inspect and verify the quality of the roofing sheets already distributed in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
The petition has been copied to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and Housing Minister Marcuise N Sangma.