The Hynniewtrep Youths Council (HYC) has written to the Housing Department over the conduct of a department inquiry into supply of roofing sheets.
In a letter to LC Marak, Joint Secretary in the Housing Department and nodal officer/chairman of the inquiry team, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem raised objection to the way the inquiry is being conducted.
“During our first day of spot inspection/verification with the inquiry team on July 2, we had raised a concern that the team should also take measurement of the weight of each sheet in addition to the measurement of the length, width and thickness so that the inquiry will be able to report fairly and correctly on the standard and quality of the supplied aluminium sheets, as complained by us,” Synrem said.
However, during the visits on July 5 and 9, the inquiry team had still not made provision for measuring the weight, which, according to the HYC, is also important to address the concern on the supply of substandard and low quality sheets by the supplier.
If the weight is not taken into account, Synrem said that the HYC “will not take part further with this inquiry as it will be a futile as well as a one-sided exercise and the report of which will be unacceptable to us and the general public at large.”
The Meghalaya government had ordered a departmental inquiry into alleged irregularities in the procurement of roofing sheets in the state. The HYC had alleged misappropriation of public funds by procuring sub-standard aluminium roofing sheets, which were distributed to the different community and rural development (C&RD) blocks across Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
The HYC had also filed a petition with the Lokayukta and urged it to direct the immediate recall of all orders for roofing sheets delivered by Hariana Iron Works Pvt Ltd to various C&RD blocks and halt any further distribution.
