Mizoram govt incurs Rs 4.88 crore wasteful expenditure attributable to negligence: CAG
The CAG report identified that the expenditure of Rs.4.88 crore on formation reducing of this street was 'wasteful because the venture was proposed to be dropped'.
AIZAWAL: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has slammed the Mizoram authorities for incurring an ‘avoidable’ expenditure of Rs 4.88 crore on formation reducing of Darlak-Sihthiang street in Mamit district attributable to ‘negligence’.
The CAG report tabled within the meeting by Chief Minister Zoramthanga within the lately concluded session mentioned that the development of the Darlak-Sihthiang street was undertaken underneath the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) regardless of the village being already related.
It mentioned that Sihthiang was related by 11-km lengthy Chuhvel-Sihthiang paved street, which is an all-weather street since December 2020.
While the development of the Chuhvel-Sihthiang paved street was being taken up in May 2016, an settlement was signed in August 2019 between Mizoram Rural Road Development Agency of the state Public Works division and contractors for the development of Darlak-Sihthiang street at a value of Rs 52.81 crore and the venture was scheduled to be accomplished by June 2020.
“The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for construction of Darlak-Sihthiang road indicated that Sihthiang village, with a population of 495 was unconnected from any part of Mamit district and the length of the proposed Darlak-Sihthiang road was 35.61 km and the estimated project cost was Rs 58.32 crore,” the audit report mentioned.
The contractor began the work in February 2020 and accomplished the formation reducing of seven.3 km in June 2021.
However, the work was placed on maintain since July 2021 attributable to non-availability of Forest clearance and the division proposed for dropping of the venture to the Ministry in July 2022, it mentioned.
Out of the contract worth of Rs 52.81 crore, the PWD incurred expenditure of Rs 4.88 crore until April 2022.
Meanwhile, check examine of data of the Executive Engineer, Kawrthah Division of the state PWD confirmed that Sihthiang village was related by 11 km Chuhvel-Sihthiang paved street constructed underneath the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with an estimated price of Rs 9.59 crore.
This work was executed by two contractors M/s North East Consultancy Services (NECS) for development of culverts and safety partitions at a value of Rs.0.93 crore ranging from May 13, 2016, and V.
Malsawmdawngliana for the development of versatile pavement at a value of Rs 7.77 crore ranging from June 23, 2016, totalling Rs 8.70 crore and was accomplished in December 2020.
The CAG report identified that the expenditure of Rs.4.88 crore on formation reducing of this street was ‘wasteful because the venture was proposed to be dropped’.
The state authorities admitted (August 2022) that since Sihthiang village has been related by NABARD mortgage, the venture underneath PMGSY was proposed for dropping to the Ministry of Rural Development in July 2022, the audit report mentioned.
