By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 26: Tura MP Saleng Sangma has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a high-level investigation into the Garobadha Multipurpose Indoor Stadium Project.
Raising serious concerns over the construction of the stadium at Garobadha in South West Garo Hills district, Sangma alleged that the project involves major financial irregularities and mismanagement, describing it as the “Mother of Scams” and a blatant misuse of public money.
According to Sangma, the project was initially approved at Rs 7.4896 crore, which was later revised to Rs 8.2386 crore following a 10% additional approval from the North Eastern Council (NEC). However, a fresh revised estimate of Rs 14.2135 crore has since been submitted and is awaiting the state government’s approval.
Highlighting what he termed as “unprecedented cost escalation,” Sangma said the project cost has nearly doubled—from the original Rs 7.4896 crore to a proposed Rs 14.2135 crore—representing an alarming 89.5% increase.
He further alleged that despite 82% financial progress (Rs 6.8187 crore already spent), the project has achieved only 10% physical progress, with merely a few pillars erected, suggesting possible fund misutilisation.
“The project has faced such significant delays that the NEC has decided to close it, raising serious questions about execution efficiency and fund management,” he said. Sangma added that the steep cost escalation without any proportional scope enhancement indicates potential manipulation of estimates, while the wide gap between financial and physical progress points to possible diversion or misuse of funds.
He urged the Prime Minister to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the CBI, CAG, and relevant technical experts to conduct a comprehensive audit of the project, including a financial audit of all transactions, fund releases, and expenditures related to it.
