Shillong, Dec 5: The MDA government has denied any scam in the Rs 14 crore eco-tourism project in Garo Hills.
Both Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh separately spoke to meda persons denying any scam.
Speaking to reporters, Conrad said, “Wherever this report came out, their study and numbers were completely incorrect and the article is completely misleading. The numbers are wrong. It is a 13 crore project and there were 8-9 locations where the particular infrastructure were supposed to come up.”
The chief minister said the NEC had funded thr project in 2017 before the formation of the MDA in 2018.
Most of the infrastructures are ready except in one or two locations, he said adding there has been some work that is incomplete or some payments are due.
“But apart from that, there are two things. One, it is not a Rs 1300 crore, the reporter got it completely wrong and they have misled the public as it is a 13 crore project. Two, as I said it is so simple and easy to just use scam, scam and scam and then make a scam on their own and there is nothing a scam, it is a project which has been completed,” he said.
“One component of Rs 90 lakh, there are some works that are left in that which of course if not completed payment will not be made in those so we will definitely look into that aspect but to jump to conclusion and come up with all big lines in the papers saying that it is a scam is simply very irresponsible.. So the concerned reporters and paper should be careful in the kind of article they come out, they should do their study and come up with facts and don’t mislead the public,” he said.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh has threatened to file defamation case for misleading the people.
He said the rural eco-tourism circuit project in Garo Hills was sanctioned by NEC in 2017 for 12 projects out of which 9 are in East Garo Hills, one in West Garo Hills and two in South West Garo Hills at a total cost of Rs 14.39 crore.
Lyngdoh said each location consists of construction of traditional dwelling cottages, with bedroom, common room, toilets, land scaping etc amounting to Rs 9.91 lakh.
Out of Rs 14.39 crore, over Rs 13 crore was paid to the contractors for the works completed and the remaining works are in final stages of completion” he said.
The minister said there are many reasons for the delay in the completion of the projects which include by-election in East Garo Hills, lockdown and restriction of labourers due to COVID and difficult approach road to various sites which was further compounded by monsoon season besides many others.
