Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 15 Dec: The All East Kameng District Students’ Union (AEKDSU) on Thursday claimed that there are loopholes in the Seppa-Chayang Tajo NEC road scam investigation, and demanded that all those involved in the scam be brought to justice.
The Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the vigilance department had launched an investigation into alleged misappropriation of fund for the 81-km road project, leading to the arrest of four officials and Gammon India Pvt Ltd staff, including the then executive engineers and superintendent of engineer, in 2021.
In a press conference held at the Arunachal Press Club here, AEKDSU president Chakang Yangda claimed that there are shortcomings in the SIC investigation into the scam, which need to be corrected.
“We, the complainants, appreciate the efforts of the investigating agency. However, still there are lots of loopholes which should be corrected, and all the persons involved should be arrested,” said Yangda.
The AEKDSU also questioned the efficiency and credibility of the SIC, accusing the investigation agency of “taking a snail’s pace in the investigation into said scam.”
The SIC has already submitted the chargesheet to the court with regard to the case.
The AEKDSU further alleged that the department concerned “changed the work nomenclature from ‘construction and improvement of Seppa-Chayang Tajo road (81 kms)’ to ‘restoration of flood damages on Seppa-Chayang Tajo road during 2017-21’,” and added that the “Rs 1,279 lakhs technical sanctioned amount was a suspicious move by the executing agency.”
The union claimed that the fund was allocated for the left-out or remaining work on the road, and that “the arbitrary change of name of the work was nothing but to siphon off the fund in the name of restoration of flood damages for year 2017-202.”
The union has filed an FIR against the incumbent Chayang Tajo MLA, the PWD western zone chief engineer, and the then Chayang Tajo PWD executive engineer over alleged “criminal conspiracy and deviation of anomalies and violation of GFR and CPWD rules.”
It expressed displeasure that, in spite of its complaints, “the authority has not initiated any action or inquiry against those involved in the scam.”
AEKDSU general secretary Pritom Yangfo said that the “AEKDSU has been left with no option but to file a public interest litigation in the matter.”
Meanwhile, in response to the union, the PWD western zone chief engineer said that “the original name of work of the scheme remains the same; only additional nomenclature was added under the sub-head.
“The department felt it necessary to do it as many stretches of the road and structures of work already completed for which payment were made to the contractors were washed out or damaged during monsoon season,” the CE added.
The CE further said that “additional nomenclature under the sub-head title was added to avoid future complications of overlapping of chainages of the work with original works,” and denied that there was any attempt to siphon off fund.
“There is no question of siphoning off of the fund in the name of restoration as the scope of work is fixed as per technical sanction and no payment was done to any agency without work,” the CE said.
The SIC conducted a preliminary inquiry into the allegation of misappropriation of funds by Gammon India in the construction of the road, and registered the matter as a regular case [u/s 120 (B)/420/465/471/409 IPC, r/w Section 13 (1) HO (d) & 13 (2) PC Act, 1988] on 7 August, 2019.
