The people of Nengkra A·we in East Garo Hills protested on Friday along with various civil society organisations against the Meghalaya government’s decision to inaugurate the Children Adolescents and Digital Library construction at Nengkra despite serious concerns regarding its quality and execution.
A joint inspection of several pressure groups concluded that the library building suffers from serious structural and qualitative deficiencies. The library was one of 72 opened on Friday remotely by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while on her official visit to Meghalaya.
“From poorly executed plastering to cracks in the main building, and from substandard toilet and rainwater harvesting facilities to an overall disregard for sanctioned design and cost specifications, the construction reflects a gross misuse of public funds meant for the development of children and youth in this region,” the protestors said in a release.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Block Development Officer on June 30 but no corrective steps were taken, said the pressure groups, who then raised the matter with the Deputy Commissioner, again to no avail.
“What is most disheartening is that instead of addressing these concerns or initiating a technical inquiry, the administration has gone ahead to prepare for the official inauguration of this incomplete and substandard structure without the consent of the residents or the NGOs. The move is seen by the people as a betrayal of trust and an affront to the voices of the community,” the release said. Referring to the visit of the Union minister, it added, “This calculated attempt to showcase faulty work as successful development in front of a central dignitary not only distorts the truth but also insults the collective conscience of the region.”
