Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) through its media cell, has again raised the red flag over alleged financial irregularity by the Finance Department (FD) over Drawal Authority (DA) issued twice for the same project, issuing additional fund under ‘State Plan’ even though the planning system has been done away and also non-completion of works, all under the Roads and Bridges department.
It may be recalled that NPRAAF had earlier also brought out similar instances where DAs were issued for the same project(s) twice.
NPRAAF said that the Finance department had released a total amount of Rs 27.25 crore on two occasions for “construction of road from Sainik School, Punglwa to Jalukie (from ODR to Intermediate lane – 28 km). On 14 March 2017, Rs 12.80 crore was released while on July 18, 2016 Rs 14.45 crore was released under demand no 58 – Roads & Bridges.
The amounts were released under NLCPR without indicating the details of the release by DoNER. NPRAAF said it also did not indicate whether it was 1st instalment, 2nd instalment etc. thus creating a doubt about the genuineness of the release.
Therefore, the forum has asked Finance department to furnish the sanction and release/s made by DoNER ministry besides revealing the total cost of the project, amount released so far, name of the contractor/firm and whether the work had been strictly carried out as per specifications and satisfactorily.
In this connection, NPRAAF recalled that the incident at Npangreu river on July 19, 2017 where an Executive Engineer and an SDO were manhandled by the public while on duty to inspect the damaged subways of bridges under construction between Pungwla and Jalukie.
“While NPRAAF do not approve of any unwarranted actions from either the public or government, the incident reveals a lot about public sufferings owing to the apathy of R&B towards public utilities such as roads and bridges which are a lifeline for the people,” it added.
RCC girder bridge: NPRAAF said that the Finance department on December 17, 2016 released Rs. 20 crore against “additional fund” under demand no 58 –Roads & Bridges for; construction of RCC girder bridge (double lane) on Phetso and Chuza river and extension of Dzumha bridge from single lane to double lane (Rs 13.00 crore), (b) construction of RCC girder double bridges on Chathe, Daru, Hekhaperu and Teru in between New Chumukedima and Ngwalo (Rs 7.00 crore)
Further, it said that the department on May 3, 2017 released Rs 24.47 crore under ‘State Plan’ demand no 58 –Roads & Bridges for the same project; construction of RCC girder bridge (double lane) on Phetso and Chuza river and extension of Dzumha bridge from single lane to double lane (Rs 3.76 crore), (b)Construction of RCC girder double bridges on Chathe, Daru, Hekhaperu and Teru in between New Chumukedima and Ngwalo (Rs 20.71 crore).
It said that the Drawal Authority (DA) was “issued against the Re-appropriation of fund from Demand no. 27 – Planning Machinery vide letter no.BUD/2-27/2017-18 dated 1st May 2017.”
In this regard, NPRAAF has requested the FD to enlighten the public on what it actually meant by “re-appropriation of fund from demand no 27 – Planning Machinery?”
Referring to the recent clarification by FD that– it no longer uses the nomenclatures Non-Plan, State Plan etc as per the direction of the Central government, NPRAAF questioned as to why FD was still using ‘State Plan’?
Therefore, NPRAAF has asked FD to provide details regarding the total cost of the project, amount released so far, name of the contractor/firm and whether the work has been carried out successfully.
NPRAAF concluded that since the Punglwa-Jalukie road and the RCC girder bridges on Chuza river, Dzumha, Chathe, Daru, Hekhaperu and Teru were all located along the same and adjacent road, the total amount released in two years for this route had come up to Rs 71.72 crore. It however said that the condition was appalling as compared to the works carried out.
The amounts released for each project had been magnified in such a manner that it would seems like mega projects, said NPRAAF, adding this has left ample room for the public to believe that more amounts have been released earlier for the same projects.
NPRAAF in this regard asked the concerned department to provide the total cost of the projects and amounts released till date, for public consumption.