NEC funded water supply schemes fail to take off
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 25 2018: Even though it has been around one year and a half since necessary funds for taking up four water supply schemes were sanctioned by the North Eastern Council (NEC), State the authority has not been able to initiate any works till date.

According to a reliable source, NEC had already sanctioned the necessary funds for three of the four Water Supply Schemes in April last year while the fund for the remaining one was sanctioned in March 14 this year.

The total costs of the four projects is Rs 28.75 crore, the source added.

The source explained that the three water supply schemes whose funds were sanctioned last year are Composite Water Supply Scheme at Tumukhong Moirangpurel and its surrounding areas of Imphal East district (Rs 6 crore), Composite Water Supply Scheme at Ramrei and its surrounding areas of Ukhrul district (Rs 14.95 crore) and Augmentation of Top Dusara Water Supply Scheme, Imphal East (Rs 5 crore) while the project whose fund was sanctioned this year is Composite Water Supply Project (Phase I) at Kozhuru and Likhuru valley of Senapati district (Rs 2.40 crore) .

The source continued that for the Composite Water Supply Scheme at Tumukhong Moirangpurel and its surrounding areas, NEC will bear Rs 5.40 crore of the total expenditure while Rs 60 lakh will be borne by the State Government.

For this project which is targeted for completion by April 19, 2020, the NEC has already sanctioned Rs 1.62 crore out of its share, the source mentioned but added that as per thereport till August this year, not a single penny of the funds have been utilised till date.

Similarly, the NEC will bear Rs 13.45 crore as its share for the Composite Water Supply Scheme at Ramrei and its surrounding areas while the State Government will bear Rs 1.49 crore as its share.

NEC has released Rs 1.50 crore but not a single rupee has been utilised on the project which is planned for completion by April 24, 2020, the source added.

On the other hand, the source continued that NEC will provide Rs 4.50 as its share for the Augmentation of Top Dusara Water Supply Scheme while the State will produce its share of Rs 50 lakh.

Rs 1.35 crore has been released so far for the project till date but the story is still the same as other similar projects, the source stated adding that the project is planned for completion by April 25, 2020.The Composite Water Supply Project at Kozhuru and Likhuru is also planned for completion by March 14, 2020 and for this project NEC will bear Rs 2.52 crore as its share while the State Government will handle Rs 28 lakh as its share.

The source claimed that the necessary funds for three of the projects had already being sanctioned more than a year and half ago but no works have been started till date which has led to many questioning if the projects will ever be implemented.

Many projects are taken up in the State, including cleaning of river beds, construction of Water Supply Scheme etc, under the funding of the NEC.

However, even though the deadlines for many of the projects were extended by 2 to 3 years, many are yet to be completed till date, the source added.

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