GUWAHATI: Amguri Nabanirman Samitee (ANS) has moved Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the request to ensure an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 105 crore by GMDA (Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority) and Gammon India Ltd. (GIL) in the name of purchasing water pipes for South Guwahati for the years 2011–12 to 2014–15.
ANS said that all these misappropriations of funds have been recorded in the office of the Accountant General Audit Assam. ANS requested the Prime Minister to ensure action against government officials and the contractor (Gammon India Ltd.), besides seizing their movable and immovable property.
Talking to The Sentinel, ANS president Diganta Saikia said, "The low-quality pipes that Gammon India Ltd. had laid led to the recent water pipe burst in the Khaghuli area in Guwahati. We did raise the issue of the scam in the purchase of water supply pipes by Gammon India Ltd. earlier. The misappropriation of funds in the purchase of water pipes is also reflected in the CAG report."
Saikia said, "In a PIL (84/2021) filed in this regard earlier, the Gauhati High Court ordered the then State Chief Secretary on December 22, 2021, to examine the matter and pass an appropriate order as expeditiously as possible, but to no avail. That led us to file an RTI application seeking information regarding the scam. On June 9, 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs informed us that they had requested the Joint Secretary, Personnel (B) Department, to cause an inquiry into the scam in compliance with the order of the High Court regarding the corruption in the GMDA. However, we know nothing about that inquiry."
He further said, "The silence on the part of the government made us move the Prime Minister to seek an inquiry at least by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that can seize the ill-gotten money from the erring officials and the contractor."
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