Following a news report alleging Rs 1300 crore eco-tourism project scam in Garo Hills, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today termed the report as baseless since the eco-tourism projects set up in Garo Hills were of the amount of Rs 14.39 crore and not Rs 1300 crore.
The news report mentioned that a total of nine such projects which were started in 2017 failed to see their completion despite the fact that they were shown as complete on paper. The report also stated that projects which were sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 1361.45 crore were slated to be completed within 18 months from the start of the construction.
Speaking to media persons here, Lyngdoh said that the actual amount for the project “Rural eco-tourism circuit in Garo Hills” was Rs 14.39 crore.
“To mislead the public by saying that it is an Rs1300 crore project is very wrong. At no point in time has the NEC even cumulatively through several years released such a huge amount to the State,” he said.
The tourism minister also said that works for an eco-tourism project in Gitokgre, East Garo Hills are yet to be completed and payment to the contractor is yet to be made.
“To say that it is a scam and money has gone into someone’s pocket is unethical,” Lyngdoh said while questioning the media report.
According to him, the project “Rural eco-tourism circuit in Garo Hills” was sanctioned by North Eastern Council (NEC) for twelve locations in Garo Hills which include nine in East Garo Hills, one in West Garo Hills, and two in South West Garo Hills at a total cost of Rs. 14.39 crore.
The project for each location consists of the construction of traditional Garo dwelling cottages with bedroom, common room and toilet, landscaping, retaining wall, stone paved pathways and biological fencing, common toilets, bandasal, tree house, and nature trails amounting to Rs 99.91 lakh.
Out of Rs 14.39 crore, a total amount of Rs 1361.45 lakh has been paid to the respective contractors for the works completed.
Lyngdoh also informed that the State government is in contact with the Tourism Ministry for more funds for the rural tourism circuits.
“We are also exploring options through externally aided projects. The National Development Bank has come up as a partner in these externally aided projects for which in many of them, an agreement has already been signed,” he said.
Informing that these projects will be mostly for the development of tourism circuits and also the preservation of the ecosystem, Lyngdoh said, “We are in the stage of preparing detailed project reports for various tourism circuits across all the twelve districts of the State.”
Similarly, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today rubbished the news report and said that the figures were completely incorrect and that the report was misleading.
“Wherever this news report came out, their study and numbers were completely incorrect and the article is completely misleading. The numbers are wrong,” Sangma said.
According to him, this was a NEC funded project sanctioned in 2017 before the MDA government came to power in 2018.
Stating that most of the infrastructures are in fact ready except in one or two locations, Sangma said there has been some work that is incomplete or some payments are due.
“It is not Rs 1300 crore, the reporter got it completely wrong and they have misled the public, since it is a Rs 13 crore project. It is so simple and easy to just use the word scam when there is no such scam. It is a project which has been completed,” he said.
The chief minister added that only in one component of Rs 90 lakh there are some works left which if not completed then no payment will be made to the contractor.
“But to jump to a conclusion saying there is a scam is totally misleading and irresponsible. So the concerned newspaper and reporter should be careful with such articles and do their study,” Sangma said.
