AITC accuses Meghalaya CM, IAS officer of indulging in irregularities of USD 79 million for ecotourism development project
The opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) on Monday alleged that there is a financial irregularity of Rs 632 crore in the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project.
In a statement, AITC national spokesperson Saket Gokhale said that the Meghalayan Age, a corporate company dedicated to tourism development, was granted funding of USD 79.05 million (i.e. Rs 632 crores) from the New Development Bank (NDB) for implementing the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project on behalf of the Government of Meghalaya.
However, despite floating tenders and RFPs, the company has yet to reveal a single name of the contractor who may have been awarded the tenders.
In addition, pointing towards undue favors taken by the Meghalayan Age, the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project has taken over road constructions that technically belong to the PWD.
“It is absolutely bizarre and unclear why road construction projects worth crores are being undertaken with borrowed funds in the guise of “ecotourism development” when these are basic responsibilities of the PWD,” Gokhale said.
“These irregularities have happened under the company Meghalayan Age which is spearheaded by CM Conrad Sangma’s top aide IAS officer D Vijay Kumar,” he alleged.
Holding Chairman & MD of Meghalayan Age Ltd IAS D Vijay Kumar responsible for not releasing a single report about 600+ Crores worth of money, he further added, “It is a known fact that Chairman & MD of Meghalayan Age Ltd IAS D Vijay Kumar is the closest aide of CM Conrad Sangma. Indeed, not a single decision is made by the CM without consulting IAS D Vijay Kumar who is known within government circles are “the super CM.” Therefore, it is reasonable to say that CM Conrad Sangma is well aware of these irregularities of 600+ crores in Meghalayan Age Ltd. under IAS D Vijay Kumar.”
The statement said it is an interesting angle that IAS Vijay Kumar also happens to be one of the founding directors of Shillong Smart City Ltd. which is also a govt-run company infested with financial irregularities as earlier highlighted by Meghalaya Trinamool Congress.
Illustrating that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, the Conrad Sangma-led MDA government is becoming exemplary for government offices facilitating a gross number of financial irregularities.
Meanwhile, Gokhale demanded that the chief minister and the IAS officer should answer where the Rs 600 crore have gone.
“We demand that IAS officer D Vijay Kumar and CM Conrad Sangma must answer where 600+ crores of funds have gone and why Meghalayan Age Ltd. has not filed a single financial statement as required under law,” he said adding, “We also demand that the people of Meghalaya MUST be informed about where funds have been spent by Meghalayan Age Ltd., who are the contractors that have been awarded these projects, and on what basis have the projects been awarded.”
The opposition spokesperson further asserted that the people of Meghalaya also have a right to know as to why tenders and projects worth crores have been rushed through by Meghalayan Age Ltd. in just the last 3 months in the run-up to the Meghalaya Assembly Elections.
“Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma must answer why his close aide & Meghalaya “Super CM” IAS officer D Vijay Kumar has been brazenly allowed to hide the financials of Meghalayan Age Ltd. and where 600+ crores of public money taken as a loan have gone,” he further stated in the statement.
Leave a Reply