SINGCHUNG, 1 Nov: Chief Minister Pema Khandu reaffirmed his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and said that stringent action would be taken against those found guilty.
“No form of corruption will be tolerated by the state government, and those found guilty will be taken to task as per the rule of the land,” the chief minister said, referring to the alleged misappropriation of government funds in the land acquisition process for the Lada-Sarli portion of the Frontier Highway.
Speaking at a public function during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Grong Buddha Park here in West Kameng district on Saturday, Khandu informed that he came to know of the alleged misappropriation after returning from Delhi and immediately ordered the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the allegations.
“I have also given directions that, based on the preliminary report, all held responsible for the fiasco be suspended with immediate effect for a free and fair inquiry. Suspension orders will be out in a day or two,” he said.
He said that “we have seen similar instances before and understand how such practices affect the timely completion of a project.”
“It is unfortunate that now this Frontier Highway project, particularly the Lada to Sarli stretch, will suffer,” Khandu said.
“Inquiries upon inquiries will be conducted, police will investigate, and the matter will drag on in court. This is very unfortunate and condemnable,” he said.
Terming it as a “nonsense act,” Khandu assured that those found guilty – be it a government official of any stature or any member of the public – will not be spared.
The chief minister lauded the West Kameng administration for completing the land acquisition process for the project in a free, fair and transparent manner.
He also thanked the people of the district for cooperating with the administration, and expressed hope that other districts through which the highway is passing would take a cue from West Kameng.
Meanwhile, the chief minister congratulated the people of West Kameng, especially those of Singchung area, on the foundation laying of the Grong Buddha Park, which, he said, would become a tourist destination in the future.
The Buddha Park, envisioned as a shining example of development harmonised with spirituality, will feature a magnificent Buddha statue, monastery, stupas, museum, water body, guest house, hostel block, library, cafeteria, office and reception centre, parking area, kiosks, resting huts, garden, and courtyard.
“Once completed, it will serve as a serene centre of faith and reflection while also promoting tourism, local livelihood, and cultural preservation in the region,” he added.
On the occasion, the chief minister launched three new apps – one created by the West Kameng district administration and two by the district police. These are the ‘Yakatopia’ app, providing digital platform for ease of tourism, the ‘Choo-mantar’ app to sensitise children to good touch and bad touch, and the ‘Yodha Bandhu’ app to provide tele-counselling and awareness to youthsaffected by substance abuse.
