Only 30 out of 179 households in the Durabanda village area are receiving piped water through the Jal Jeevan Mission and yet the contractor has been paid in full to the tune of Rs 57 lakh, according to the Nokrek Area Development Committee (NADC).
Implementation of JJM projects have been under a cloud many a time, with allegations of corruption, misappropriation and malfeasance dogging many of them along the way.
In a letter to Public Health Engineering Minister Marcuise Marak through the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, the NADC said that it had filed a Right to Information (RTI) request on January 17 this year and received a response the following month from the PHE sub-division at Chokpot.
In the reply, it was stated that there are 179 households eligible for water pipe connections in Durabanda – 125 in Durabanda A’gitokgre, 20 in Durabanda Songgital and 34 in Durabanda Chambugonggre.
However, out of 179 eligible only 30 had functional piped water supply and the NADC confirmed this through a spot inquiry on April 1.
According to the letter, the contract was awarded on January 5, 2021 to Rahendro M Sangma of Upper Rongkhon in Tura and sub-contracted to Tengton M Sangma of Sasatgre, South Garo Hills.
The value of the contract was Rs 57.28 lakh. The RTI mentioned that the entire sum had been withdrawn by the contractor and the NADC wants to know how this was allowed when only around 17 percent of the houses have been connected.
The NADC also claimed that Tengton “forcefully” took a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Nokma of Durabanda Chambugonggre, which is required for the release of the funds.
Because of the incomplete work, the residents of the village have to fetch water from a nearby river for their daily needs and the NADC has requested the minister to take action against the “scam”.
