PAC pulls up officials of PWD & BAD over irregularities

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Assembly today pulled up officials of the public works department (PWD) and border area development (BAD) over "irregularities" in the implementation of projects and schemes in the past 10 years.

Speaking to reporters after its sitting held here, PAC chairman Charles Pyngrope said the Committee has summoned officials of the two departments to seek explanation on the "irregularities" pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report tabled in the Assembly earlier this year.

According to him, the replies given by the two departments to the CAG were also found "not satisfactory".

Stating that four major issues were highlighted in the report, Pyngrope said that the first being the "failure" of the PWD to complete the construction of the bridge over Umiam river at Shella even after six years.

"This (failure) has resulted in an unproductive expenditure to the tune of Rs 4.79 crore," he said while pointing that another issue was on the department making extra expenditure of Rs 85.89 lakh to construct a bridge over a river in Mawkyrwat without "actual requirement".

Thirdly, Pyngrope said that the department had extended "undue financial benefit of Rs 2.21 crore by allowing higher rate" to the contractors for excavation of hard rock in execution of two road works without using explosives.

With regards to the BAD department, the PAC chairman said that the department had recommended funding of Rs 1.39 crore to set up a fish seed production farm and multipurpose development project on a privately owned plot of land.

"The inordinate delay in its completion has led to the project fraught with the risk of cost over run and rendering the expenditure of Rs 49.23 lakh incurred so far unfruitful," he added.

He said these observations in the 350 paragraph CAG report was made for the year 2008-09 to 2016-17.

Meanwhile, the PAC has asked the concerned departments to ensure that all details must be put in place before allotting any work to any contractor.

"The law should be adhered to, thereby eliminating any possibility of cost over run and transaction which may not confirm to the rules laid down by the government," the chairman asserted.