Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Mar 7: The All Desali Area Youth Association (ADAYA) appealed to the state Vigilance department to immediately initiate an investigation against the misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 17.39 crore against the reconstruction-cum-realignment of 23.323 km Hunli-Desali road under RIDF-XII, funded by NABARD in 2007-08.
Addressing reporters here at the press club on Thursday, ADAYA president Oskar Mega informed that based on its writ petition against the matter at the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court, the court on 13 February this year has also directed the state Vigilance department for early investigation on the matter but the department is yet to take up the matter.
Following their persistent efforts, Mega informed, the Lower Dibang Valley deputy commissioner on 23 April, 2015 had also constituted an expert committee for field verification, which submitted its final report on 13 September, 2015.
As per the expert committee report shared by the ADAYA, out of 23.323 km stretch of the road as per the DPR, carpeting of only 9.60 km has been completed; out of 10.996 km of CC drain as per the DPR, only 500 meters have been done, and out of 1113 meter of retaining wall, only 840 meters have been completed.
The report also highlights several other discrepancies in the project.
Mega claimed that though the road is far from being completed, the entire fund amounting to Rs17.39 crore has been released to all the executing firms.
Mega said that they are not fully satisfied with the outcome of their petition because the court has directed the same authorities who have failed to take any actions on the issue despite submitting all the relevant documents and repeated memorandums and reminders.
The ADAYA president further informed that another PWD road project under PMGSY amounting to Rs 30 crore is being planned to be implemented on the same stretch of road.
Expressing the association’s opposition to the project, Mega said that the proposed project should not be implemented as the case against the previous project on the same road is still pending.
Further, ADAYA general secretary Soonddru Keche informed that the state Vigilance department is also not pursuing a scam regarding supply of computer sets to government secondary school Desali.
Keche informed that 10 computer sets with all accessories were issued against the government secondary school in Desali under ICT in 2007-2008, and again in 2012-2013 under the SSA but the principal of the school has confirmed that no computers have been received by the school.
He informed that the association has also written to several concerned authorities in this regard but no actions have been initiated which compelled them to file writ petition at the high court here, and that the matter is still pending.
He added that their FIR lodged at the Hunli PS is also not registered yet.
Furthermore, the ADAYA general secretary has appealed to the state government to immediately compensate 11 minor students of government residential school, Jamupani who sustained serious injuries following snapping of a hanging bridge while they were taking part in the Prabhat Pheri as part of the Independence Day celebration in 2017.
Keche informed that they have written to the chief secretary in this regard on behalf of the victim families but 10 months have passed since and there is no response to their representations.
He informed that due to the lackadaisical attitude of the concerned authorities they have filed a writ petition at the high court here and the matter is still pending.
Urging the state government to address the matter, the ADAYA also demanded the concerned authorities to take strict actions against the erring officers and the department because they ignored installing warning signs about the dilapidated condition of the bridge and its load capacity.
Also, refuting allegations of them being involved in blackmailing officials with RTI documents they have obtained on various corrupt practices, the association has dared all individuals, especially gazette officers, to come forward with any proof of such activities against them.
