Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 6 Oct: The Dolum Welfare Society (DWS) and Paat Welfare Society (PWS) of Upper Subansiri and Kamle districts on Thursday alleged that there were huge discrepancies in executing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road from BRTF road (Circuit House) to Jigi village.
In a press conference on Wednesday, the representatives of Dolum and Paat welfare societies demanded that the state government approve the investigation on the said road project with the special investigation cell (SIC).
PWS IPR secretary Tagam Yitor informed that on 30 September, the societies had lodged an FIR with the state vigilance department, accusing the RWD and executing agency of misappropriating funds by executing sub-standard and low quality work.
Yitor further claimed there was a gross violation of the detail project report (DPR) as the work was not executed according to DPR.
In its FIR with the SIC, the society further accused the said project “as an overlapped project with an ulterior motive to loot the government money.”
“The 26 km (approximate) PWD road with motorable stretch up to 13 km (from Daporijo end) was fraudulently clubbed under the Core-Network of PMGSY scheme with the sole intent of loot and misappropriate of government money by the executing agency without completing any formality in taking over from PWD Daporijo Division,” Yitor claimed.
They demanded that the SIC investigate the length of the road as it is allegedly “overlapping the existing PWD road, with malafide intention to siphon off government money.”
He further claimed that “from 15 km to 29 km, fresh formation cutting was supposed to be done. However, the work was done halfway.”
Yitor added that the societies and the affected village people have been raising the issue of sub-standard and low quality of said road project since 2017.
“We have been complaining about substandard work since 2017. On 27 November, 2017, the youth of Nima village lodged a complaint with the RWD executive engineer, Daporijo. On 4 May 2019, the Yitor Pobo Youth complained again to the EE RWD Daporijo about the quality of works,” he said, adding that the department did not initiate any corrective measures.
Yitor further informed that a joint inspection was carried out with the society members and the officials from the department and a report was submitted by the RWD assistant engineer on 24 November 2020, reflecting incomplete works.
“However, the RWD Raga Division executive engineer has falsified the documents and issued completion certificate to M/S Tayo Enterprises whereas actual work has not been completed so far,” he claimed.
Demanding criminal proceedings against the RWD officials of Raga and Daporijo divisions, Yitor also questioned the role of the third-party monitoring committee who had inspected the said project.
“The role of members of the National Quality Monitors appointed by the Gol and the State Quality Monitors also need to be thoroughly investigated for colluding with the executing agency and contractor in issuing false certificate regarding the project and quality of works being satisfactory without the works being actually done,” Yitor added in his FIR.
The 29 Km stage-1 PMGSY road reportedly commenced on 24 March 2017 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,612.85 lakhs by M/S Tayo Enterprises under RWD Division Daporijo, Upper Subansiri. However, the completion report was submitted by RWD Raga Division executive engineer on 13 May 2020, as the said road falls under Kamle district now.
It was also informed that the said road connects villages like Nima, Hangkar, Pobo, Jigi, etc. Some villages fall under Upper Subansiri district and some fall under Kamle district after the district bifurcation.
This daily could not verify the societies’ allegation with RWD Divisions Raga and Daporijo.
