A day after revealing about the special favour shown by the MDA government towards the Dhar family by allotting an advantageous floor in the Meghalaya House, Kolkata to a member of the family, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) has today written a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma questioning the decision.
In the letter to Sangma today, the VPP demanded his intervention to cancel the contract signed by the GAD (A) Department, Government of Meghalaya to allot the ground floor of the Commercial Complex, Meghalaya House located at Russell Street, Kolkata to Rocky Dhar for his business purpose.
It may be mentioned that Rocky Dhar is the nephew of Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar. He also manages the business empire of the Dhar family.
According to the VPP, the ground floor of the Meghalaya House commercial complex at Russell Street, Kolkata is presently occupied by three government departments/corporation which included the Tourist Information Centre under the Directorate of Tourism, Directorate of Horticulture and Meghalaya Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd – Government State Emporium.
“All these units/outlets under the various departments and corporations have been set up at this very place in order to promote the products and services of these various departments commercially,” the VPP said.
“Therefore, we are at our wits end as to how the government which is meant to serve the interest of the people through the various departments took up such a decision to promote the interest of an individual at the cost of its people whom it is supposed to serve. It appears that the present dispensation is all out to serve the interest of some individuals, not the people who have voted them to serve and uplift their economic conditions,” the party added.
Further, the VPP said that the tender for the commercial complex of Meghalaya House, Kolkata was actually called for some of the vacant space other than the ground floor. “However, the very fact that the tenderer (Rocky Dhar) was awarded the ground floor is a clear case of flouting and transgressing the rules and regulations,” the party said.
“The party vehemently opposes such unreasonable and unethical decision which is at the cost of the government departments/corporation in general and the indigenous producers/artisans of the State in particular,” the VPP said while urging the chief minister to stop the allotment of the floor to Rocky Dhar in the interest of the State and its people.
It may be mentioned that yesterday, the VPP had alleged that after three attempts, the government finally awarded the tender to Rocky Dhar by making changes in the terms and conditions to favour him and ensure that he gets the ground floor of the commercial complex.
