Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 20:
The Chingai Youth Club, the Progressive Forum, Chingai and the Eastern Mapithel Area Students' Association have accused a special contractor, a Thangkhul and resident of Khamasom village, of withdrawing a huge amount of money under the PMGSY and ACA roads in Ukhrul district without completing the said contract works.
In a joint statement, the three organisations said that three packages of Rural road construction under the PMGSY programme in Ukhrul district were awarded to the special contractor.
The first package (MN-0901) covers Chingai village to Tusom village via Challou village measuring 10 kms at an estimated cost of Rs one crore and twenty one lakhs.
The construction was supposed to have been finalised by 2003, said the statement.
Though one km of the 10 kms is yet to be constructed even after a lapse of three years, the contractor has withdrawn Rs one crore and three lakhs, said the three bodies and charged that even the completed work is far from satisfactory.
The second package (MN-0902) covers T Hundung village to BRTF road (Honbai village) measuring 20 kms, said the statement.
The approved amount for the said work is Rs two crores, ninety six lakhs and forty thousand and the work was supposed to be completed between December 2003 and Dec 2004.From the total amount the said contractor has already withdrawn an amount of Rs one crore, sixty eight lakhs and one thousand, though only 50 pc of the work has been completed.
Work for minor bridges, culverts, retaining wall, dressing and drainage are yet to be taken up charged the three organisations.
Package number three (MN-0903) covers Hingjol (Lungphu village) to T Hundung village measuring 26.5 kms and the amount earmarked for the work is Rs two crore, sixty two lakhs and seventy thousand, said the statement and added that the work was supposed to have been completed by December 2004.Though there is a time lapse of one and a half year, the contractor has already withdrawn a sum of Rs one crore, fifty lakhs and seventy nine thousand.
Fifty percent of the work is also yet to be completed.
Apart from the PMGSY schemes, the said contractor was also awarded an important contract work under the ACA for improvement of road (earth work and side drain) between Awang Kasom and Chingai measuring 12 kms for earth work and 13 kms for side drain.
The amount earmarked for the said work is Rs 80 lakhs and 40 thousand.
From the total amount, the contractor had withdrawn Rs 70 lakhs and eighty eight thousand though he had covered only 10 kms of the 12 kms earth work while leaving the side drain work of 13 kms untouched, charged the three organisations.
Numerous complaints have not borne the desired result and on September 1, 2005, the contractor had assured through the Aja daily newspaper that the road works under the PMGSY will be completed by Christmas of 2005, but it went in vain.




