Imphal, August 12: Gross irregularities and discrepancies have marred most of the projects being taken up under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in Kamjong sub-division of Ukhrul district in the border areas along Myanmar in.

Phungyar AC.

This was observed during the three day long trip undertaken by Border Area People's Welfare Organisation and the Ukhrul branch of the People's Action for Right to Information together with a team of reporters.

The team found out that the amount sanctioned for development of an inter-village roads.

(IVR) along river banks had been withdrawn without executing the works.

It was also discovered that most of the newly constructed/developed structures in these border areas were incompatible with the amount sanctioned while in some cases, sanctioned amounts were withdrawn without ever executing the relevant works.

Most surprisingly, a bridge was found constructed over a river that flows across a jungle where there is no human settlement in the vicinity of the bridge.

Even as Rs 7.50 lakhs was sanctioned in 2006-07 for development of roads in Phaikok village and Huiminthana village which are located on the opposite sides of Namya river, there is no plan to construct a bridge to connect the two villages which are just 1 furlong apart over the river.

On the other hand, Rs 8 lakhs sanctioned under another work programme of the BADP for repairing and replacing the worn out portions of the existing half-built suspension bridge had been withdrawn without executing the relevant work.

As it stands today, the bridge is complete only upto the supporting pillar portions.

Irked at the irrational development plan of the Government to construct road between Huiminthana and Phaikok which are on the opposite sides of Namya river while ignoring the necessity of a bridge, president of the Border Area People's Welfare Organisation Azarmalu asked the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul district whether the two villages will be connected by building a tunnel under the river bed instead of building a bridge which will be far more pragmatic and logical.

He remarked that the road development project was irrational and unnecessary except for minting money at the cost of public welfare.

The joint team then inspected the suspension bridge built over Maklang river to connect Grihang, Pongpa and Tuisom.

Even as Rs 5 lakhs was sanctioned for the bridge, construction work had been halted after completing some portion of the first phase.

Though the bridge served as the only way for the people of Kamjong and surrounding areas to go to Phungyar and then to Imphal, the bridge lost its importance after 1982 following construction of the Imphal-Kamjong road, said a villager of Grihang.

To go to Phungyar by crossing the bridge is really a nightmare as the route passes through jungles and one has to travel on foot for miles in the absence of any means of transport, he added.

The inspection tour noted that despite Rs 7.50 lakhs being sanction ft was sanctioned for construction of Bungpa Khullen Primary School, Rs 10 lakhs for building extension class rooms of the Kongkan Government Aided Junior High School, 5 lakhs for building rest house at Kongkan and Rs 3 lakhs for construction of market shed at Maku Lamkhai, there was no sign of implementing these development works to any level.

Another glaring example of discrepancies on the part of officials and contractors concerned is the steady current of water in the middle of the Kamjong-Kongkan road for which development Rs 17.50 lakhs was released.

Similar sub-standard work was also observed on the road from Kongkan to Aisi village.

For the development of this road too, Rs 20 lakhs had been released.

The inspection team also learned that Rs 5 lakhs sanctioned for construction of a community hall at Lakhan under the Special Infrastructure Development Programme (Hills) has been withdrawn in the name of the community hall already constructed by District Council.

All these development works against which gross irregularities and discrepancies have been detected belong to work programmes under BADP of 2004-05 to 2006-07 for which total amount sanctioned was Rs 1.90 crores.

In addition to the relevant information gathered by the People's Action for RTI exercising the RTI Act, the incompatibility of the amount sanctioned and work implemented/non-implemented is an undeniable evidence that there have been gross irregularities and discrepancies in implementing these development works, asserted Rathing of the People's Action for RTI.

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