TURA: Authorities in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council are seeking the arrest of a woman contractor who withdrew several lakh rupees in central funds but failed to undertake the project in the plain belt regions of West Garo Hills district.
The Deputy Chief Executive Member in the Congress run Executive Committee of the GHADC, Wenison Ch Marak, filed a police FIR against her in the Tura police station on Thursday.
Last year, the central government had provided the hill council with a one-time Special Assistance Fund of Rs 100 crore for undertaking developmental works.
The Congress, which at that time was in the opposition in the council, had accused the NPP-GNC-BJP alliance of turning a blind eye to the misappropriation of the funds.
Since coming to power three months ago, the new Executive Committee headed by the Congress with Boston Marak as its chief executive member has begun a review of the works allotted under the central funding.
During one such inspection it was found that the contractor from Bholarbita in Phulbari region, Aliza Begum, had allegedly failed to undertake any construction despite release of 60 percent of the scheme money.
Under the special assistance scheme of 2015-16, the lady contractor was allotted a project to construct a community hall valued at Rs 9.50 lakh at Bholarbita village of Shyamnagar GDC constituency. Though the project was allotted to her on October 19 of 2016 she failed to undertake any work despite 60 percent of the money released to her at the time of obtaining the work order.
The authorities in the district council have reportedly identified around 50 to 60 contractors who despite bagging projects worth lakhs of rupees failed to either undertake or complete the works. More police FIRs are expected to be filed in the coming days.
