Khuga dam JAC apprises PM
Source: The Sangai Express / Jiri News Network
Churachandpur, July 25 2014 :
The JAC on the Khuga Dam Project submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister (PM) of India apprising him about the irregularities and misappropriation of funds of Rs 1.5 billion project that was inaugurated on November 12, 2010 by the President of the INC Sonia Gandhi and further appealed for his direct intervention to the said project as administrations in power had alleged the completion of the project.
The memorandum apprised the PM of the actual condition of the dam project, which was approved by the Planning Commission at the then estimated cost of Rs 15 crore in 1980, was started in 1983-84 with catchment area of 212 sq.
km.
The inauguration stone was laid by the then DY, Planning Commission of India, Manmohan Singh on October 3, 1986 .
The JAC headed by the chairman Lalpu Hangshing said that the project was included in the PM's special accord announced in 2004 but due to incompetent handling, there had been an inordinate delay in the completion of the project.
The delay resulted in escalated cost whose revision went up to Rs 434.65 crore which was subsequently approved by the State PIB and the CWC on October 3, 2011 .
The memorandum also stated that the Government, under O Ibobi Singh, after a lapse of 28 years deceived the general public alleging 70 percent completion of the project.
Thus, Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the project as functional in November 12, 2010.The project, the JAC continued, was meant to be a hydro electric power generating project.
It was estimated to provide 1.5 MW and irrigation for 15,000 hectares of agricultural land to serve the people of CCpur and the rest of Manipur in General.
The JAC alleged that the project, though inaugurated, was far from realizing the aims as no power had been generated so far and the irrigation land and water supply to Ccpur town had been a non starter.
Numerous appeals had been made to the State Government as well as the then centre Govt in public interest and for clearance of the pending bills of the Local contractor.
But neither the centre nor the State gave any positive response, added the JAC.
The core Member of the Khuga Dam JAC, Thanga said that the IFP report that reported the Contractor had been paid off was only confined to the few contractors connected to the base Contractor.
For the local Contractor, however, the bill is still pending, he added.
The JAC also added that they will further reinforce their demands in Delhi.
They will, the JAC informed, camp in the capital until they succeed to meet the PM and other Minister concerned to bring justice.