SHILLONG: In a huge embarrassment for Meghalaya’s most buoyant party NPP, its ally in the ruling coalition BJP, has levelled serious allegations of massive corruption in all three District Councils — KHADC, GHADC and JHADC, all of which are run by the ruling dispensation.
The BJP chief Earnest Mawrie, giving details to media here on Tuesday, named a minister’s in-law and NPP president’s close relations as beneficiaries of some of the scams.
The state BJP has demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged misuse of multi crore of rupees under the government of India’s Special Assistance Grant allocated to district councils for carrying out accelerated development works.
He alleged that the GHADC and the JHADC had diverted the funds to pay salaries, make documentary films and radio jingles quoting exorbitant prices while tenders were allotted without following procedure even as the guidelines clearly states that it should be for developmental works in under-developed areas.
According to Mawrie, the JHADC CEM in violation of the guidelines of the Niti Aayog diverted the funds to pay the salary of the officers and CEM publicly announced that Rs 20 crore was used for paying the salary of the employees.
Coming to GHADC, BJP Garo Hills spokesperson, Bernard Marak alleged that under the Supplying of Information, Education and communication materials, the GHADC allotted the documentary work to one Twinkle Newar Sangma at a cost of Rs 58.25 crore and till now they contractor has made only two episodes of the documentary and only 60 per cent of the work has been completed.
He said that he spoke to the contractor of the project but he was not aware of details of this project. The documents shared by the saffron party said that this is the most doubtful work issued to a contractor whose credentials are not known and who is not even living in Tura.
“There was no tender, no bidding. The work is over-estimated and the nature of the work is unknown in detail. There is no department as IEC in GHADC but somehow, this work was allotted to the contractor by Civil Works (GHADC),” the party document said.
The party added that the contractor was related to Power Minister James Sangma’s wife and the work is being carried out by Saidul Khan and David Shira which astonishingly was not in the knowledge of the contractor.
The party also shared documents with the media persons saying that for the extension of Council Main Office building at Tura, and for extension of civil works office at Tura, two contractors Eisenhawar K Sangma, uncle of Conrad Sangma and Kubon Sangma were allotted the project at a cost of Rs 4.18 crore and Rs 62.60 lakh and even after four years and release of 60 per cent of the funds to Eisenhawar K Sangma, the building has remained incomplete.
The documents shared by the BJP also said that construction of the Khasi Hills District Council museum at Sunny Hills could not be found at the proposed site though it is said that 85 per cent of the work had been completed.
The project cost is Rs 4.15 crore.
He said that GHADC claims that a road has been constructed in Garo Hills for a cost of Rs 84.79 crore but in reality such project does not exist, the party alleged.
In addition, the allegations of cover up of the huge sum of money in GHADC includes ghost bridges and footpaths, duplication of projects.
The BJP State chief, Ernest Mawrie said that they would convey the party’s stand to the top brass of NPP for putting a stop to such corruption in the two district councils. “If such activities do not stop, we may think of pulling out of the Government at the right time,” he mildly threatened. BJP has two members in the ruling party’s comfortable strength of 43 MLAs.
Giving details of funds allotment, the BJP president said that in the finance year of 2015-16, the Centre released an amount of Rs 133.12 crore for KHADC while an amount of Rs 100.71 crore was released to JHADC and an amount of Rs 33.57 crore was released to GHADC totalling to Rs 267.40 crore.
In March 2019, the Centre once again under the Special Assistance Grant released Rs 34.88 crore for KHADC, Rs 31.40 crore for GHADC and Rs 11.62 crore for JHADC.
Again on March 30, 2019, KHADC received Rs 15.3 crore, GHADC Rs 13.60 crore and JHADC received Rs 5.10 crore.
