Internal inquiry begins into roofing sheets irregularities

SHILLONG, July 2: The Housing department has started an internal inquiry into alleged irregularities in the procurement of corrugated aluminium roofing sheets under the Chief Minister Housing Assistance Programme.
The probe, led by the department’s Joint Secretary LC Marak, started with the inspection of the housing godown of the Community & Rural Development (C&RD) Block, located at Langkyrding, Nongmensong.
Members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) were also present during the inspection of the godown.
The probe team found that the thickness of the roofing sheets ranged from 0.40 mm to 0.41 mm instead of 0.45 mm as required as per the tender floated by the Housing department.
The Directorate of Housing had ordered the sheets with a thickness of 0.45 mm, which is the standard for good quality.
The inquiry team will also inspect the godowns of all C&RD Blocks of the seven districts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
In view of the ongoing investigation, Meghalaya Lokayukta chairperson Bhalang Dhar issued an order on Tuesday, directing the maintenance of status quo in the case. In the order, Dhar directed that no aluminium roofing sheets shall be lifted/substituted/distributed to the beneficiaries.
Further, he directed Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime) to the Lokayukta, Bipul Das to conduct a preliminary inquiry and based on material, information and documents collected, seek the comments of the public servant(s) and competent authority on the allegations made in the complaint.
Das was directed to submit the report by September 3 after obtaining the comments.
Earlier, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem told the media that they will accompany the inquiry team to all godowns during the inspection, especially in areas like Nongstoin, Mawthadraishan and Sohra where the members of the organisation had detected “serious” irregularities.
Synrem said they will accompany the inquiry team during its visit to Pynursla and Shella C&RD Blocks on July 5.
The UDP had also called for an investigation to find out if any irregularity had occurred.