Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 4 Mar: The Yuva Against Corruption Sangh (YACS) has accused Arunachal Pradesh Bamboo Resource Development Agency (APBRDA) Chairman Tungri Effa of siphoning off funds amounting to over Rs 6 crore when he was the chairman-cum-managing director of the Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Ltd (HPDCAPL).
Addressing a press conference at the press club here on Thursday, the YACS informed that the Arunachal Pradesh Building and Other Constructions Workers Welfare Board (APB&OCWWB) had in 2018 approved Rs 300 lakhs to the HPDCAPL for construction of transit accommodations/labourer sheds-cum-night shelters in Pasighat, Namsai and Tawang.
“As per the documents obtained through RTI, there is no record of bidding process being undertaken against the NIT issued for the labourer shed-cum-night shelter projects, and while Rs 1 crore has been utilized for the labourer shed-cum-night shelter project in Pasighat, Rs 2 crore for Namsai and Tawang is missing,” said YACS chairman KC Abo.
Abo informed that, following “non-execution of the aforementioned projects by the HPDCAPL” even after a lapse of six months, the APB&OCWWB secretary has sought a refund from the HPDCAPL on multiple occasions and even warned of legal action, “but no response was ever made by the HPDCAPL chairman Effa.”
The YACS also accused Effa of misappropriating Rs 300 lakhs meant for construction of the Taksang Chu Nallah SHP (2×1,700 kw) and the construction of the Taksang Gompha Nallah SHP (2×800 kw) in Tawang.
Abo claimed that the documents obtained through RTI indicate that Rs 2.95 crore has already been sanctioned to one M/s Altman, Calcutta, “whereas the physical progress of the Taksang Chu Nallah SHP stands at only three percent and civil work 10 percent.
“The Taksang Gompha Nallah SHP is yet to be initiated, while the balance amount against the project is nil,” he added.
The YACS has demanded immediate investigation into the matter by the SIC, and has also demanded the chief minister’s intervention in the matter. The YACS has further demanded that Effa be removed from the position of the APBRDA chairman.
However, terming the allegations baseless, Effa said that the labourer shed-cum-night shelter projects in Namsai and Tawang have not been initiated due to “non-acquisition of land for their construction.”
He informed that the funds meant for the projects are still with the HPDCAPL, and the projects will be executed when the required land is obtained.
With regard to the funds for the SHP projects in Taksang in Tawang, Effa informed that the state government had sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the projects but Rs 1 crore only was released by the state government for the Taksang Chu Nallah SHP during his tenure as HPDCAPL chairman. He said the fund has been utilized.
“The state government is yet to sanction the remaining amount of Rs 4 crore for completion of the projects, while the central government is also yet to release another Rs 20 crore for the projects,” he added.
