Shillong, Oct 13: A supposed tourism project has gone “missing” from Tasek Lake in East Garo Hills district even as documents showed completion and money withdrawn.
This was flagged by one Mingran T. Sangma, a local activist who stated that a ‘Cottage and Wooden Bridge’ project was sanctioned to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 32 lakh. However, he stated that the project is nowhere to be seen.
According to Sangma, the District Tourism Office in Williamnagar has no knowledge or records of the said project. The office claimed that most of the tourism projects in the district are being implemented directly by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), and the District Office is frequently sidelined from such projects. It reportedly does not possess copies of the tender documents, project details, contractor names, or status reports on the progress or completion of such works.
Sangma said he later sought information through an RTI application from the Directorate of Tourism in Shillong which indicated that the project has been officially marked as completed, and the full sanctioned amount has been withdrawn.
“Upon personal inspection of the project site, no wooden bridge or new cottage structure was found. Local villagers have also confirmed that no such project was ever carried out at Tasek Lake,” Sangma said.
He added that a bamboo bridge exists at the site built by local organisers of a fishing competition, around the year 2012 or earlier.
Sangma has sought a clarification and accountability from the MTDC and the directorate within ten days before he seeks legal recourse before the court of law.
“This issue raises serious questions about transparency, monitoring, and misuse of public funds in tourism development projects in the Garo Hills region and demands urgent investigation and corrective action from the authorities concerned,” he said.
