Shillong, Sep 23: A resident of Gare Songmong village has filed a complaint at Nongalbibra Police Station, South Garo Hills against a contractor, Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials in Williamnagar, and a third-party inspector for alleged corruption and malpractices in the implementation the Jal Jeevan Mission project in the village and adjoining areas.
Tengba Marak, in the FIR said that the project was executed in a poor and substandard manner by the contractor in connivance with the officials.
According to Marak, the pipelines laid are of inferior quality while construction is also faulty. He said many households are yet to receive functional tap connections despite completion certificates being issued.
“The funds sanctioned by the government are being misused, and the project implementation is only on paper while in reality the public is being deprived of their rightful access to safe drinking water,” he added.
Marak pointed out that the constructed tanks are abandoned without water where mud and sand are filled with grass overgrown with no water running for even a week from the date of completion of the project.
“Signatures from the villagers are collected to withdraw the funds in deceptive and fraudulent manner without proper procedure and awareness thereof,” he alleged.
“This clearly establishes the intentional corruption, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and misuse of public funds by the concerned contractor, department officials, and third-party inspector, which is punishable under relevant laws,” Marak said in the FIR.
