STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia has alleged that the State Government is refraining from ordering enquiries into various irregularities that have taken place in the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Guwahati Smart City Limited.
Saikia informed the media that a person with the surname of Hazarika was unlawfully appointed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation by the Chairman of the corporation. The appointment was unlawful because due permission was not obtained from the department concerned and the Finance Department before making the appointment, he said. Saikia alleged that subsequently the OSD in question has illegally appointed around 300 persons to various posts in the Fisheries department. Saikia demanded that the State Government should institute a police investigation into the matter.
Talking about the Guwahati Smart City Limited, Saikia said that apart from planning to hoist a big flag at the Gandhi Mandap, it has failed miserably to tackle problems such as water-logging during rains, a proper drainage system, maintenance of roads, setting up of adequate numbers of public toilets, etc. The water ATMs set up by the Guwahati Smart City Limited have all become defunct, he alleged. Despite getting substantial funds under the Centre's Smart Cities project, the State Government has failed make Guwahati a Smart City in the last six years.
The Leader of the Opposition said that the then Congress Governments at the Centre and the State had taken up four projects to resolve the potable water crisis of the city. These projects were supposed to be completed by 2010-2011, but these could not be completed. The BJP Government promised to complete these projects after coming to power in the State. Saikia asked the Government to clarify why these four projects still remain incomplete and demanded that a probe be instituted to ascertain the causes for this delay.
Saikia further alleged that a blacklisted Kolkata-based firm called Simplex Construction was allotted 30 bighas of Government land to execute a housing project by the GMDA. The agreement had to be renewed thrice due to the firm's inability to complete the work on time, he said, adding that the quality of the completed apartments is quite sub-standard. Saikia demanded that the quality of the work executed by Simplex Constructions be examined by engineers from the IIT Guwahati and IIT Delhi. Further, the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell or the CBI should probe the whole project, he said.
Referring to the APSC job-for-cash scam, Saikia demanded that the Justice Biplab Sarma Enquiry Committee should be allowed to investigate the APSC examination of 2014 as well and, if necessary, the committee's tenure should be extended beyond March 31 next.
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