Dykes: Messy allotment of projects streamlined, 344 contractors worked on one work

GUWAHATI: Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta has informed the State Assembly that many dykes in the State were left half done as the target beneficiaries of the schemes during the Congress regime were mostly contractors, rather than the public. He, however, said that the situation has been streamlined and brought back on track now.

Replying to a query during the Question Hour, Mahanta said, "While the work of a dyke with an estimated cost of Rs 24.41 crore was allotted to 344 contractors, that of another dyke with an estimated cost of Rs 28.48 crore was given to 271 contractors. If some of the contractors completed the works allotted to them, some left theirs half-done, and a section of them left their works totally undone. There are even records of a project work given to as many as 1,623 contractors.

"Since these projects are jointly funded by the Centre and the State, when the Centre put pressure on us to complete the projects, we couldn't even locate many of the contractors.

"We've put an end to that practice now. We're allotting project works to only those contractors who are experienced and financially well off."

EROSION: Replying to another query, Mahanta made a startling revelation, "So far, 72 lakh bighas of land have disappeared due to erosion in the State. The Central government has initiated the process to declare the problem of erosion as a national calamity. It has already formed a committee headed by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog to study various dimensions of erosion in Assam.

"Assam basically being a basin-State, water comes to or flows through it from the neighbouring States. Now all the north-eastern States have agreed to form a joint body – the 'North East Water Management Authority'. Following objections raised by two Chief Ministers from the region, the Congress government in Assam couldn't form the authority. Now, the draft Bill is ready and set to be introduced in the Parliament.

"To check erosion in the State, we've taken up projects worth Rs 700 crore from 2016-2020. While many of the projects have been completed, some are going on."

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