The A·chik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO) has written to the Urban Affairs Minister over what it called “serious discrepancies” in the tender allotment process for the controversial beautification of the World War I cenotaph in Babupara, Tura.
The project is valued at Rs 2 crore and has proven controversial as various civil society groups claimed that the state government had not carried out consultations with the general public ahead of the demolition of the original cenotaph.
The AYWO, in its letter, alleged that the ‘earnest money deposit’ from one of three contractors, Dhurup Prasad, was deposited only on November 14, 2024, nearly a month past the October 18 deadline set in the tender notice.
Most alarmingly, the AYWO, said, the document lacks the mandatory authentication of the CEO of the Tura Municipal Board,”further casting doubt on the legitimacy of the process.” These irregularities raise grave concerns about procedural violations, lack of transparency and potential favouritism in the award of the contract, the pressure group added.
The AYWO is therefore pushing for an impartial inquiry, an immediate halt to the project until the investigation is completed, disciplinary action against officials responsible for the “lapses” and corrective measures to restore public trust.
