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Plea For CBI Probe Into Guwahati Water Supply Projects: Assam Govt Seeks Two Weeks To Respond

 

 

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has sought two weeks' time from the Gauhati High Court to respond to a petition calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged irregularities surrounding the implementation of two major water projects in the city. The request comes amidst growing concerns over delays and alleged financial mismanagement in the projects.

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The petition was filed by ‘Chiriyakhana Patha Jyestho Nagarik Sanshta’, a senior citizens’ forum, as an interlocutory application (IA) within a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) originally filed in 2021, which highlighted the ongoing potable water crisis in Guwahati. The IA, submitted in October last year, was heard by a court presided over by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kaushik Goswami. The case is scheduled to be heard again in three weeks.

The forum’s IA draws heavily on the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report for 2021-2022, which flagged numerous issues in the execution of the South West Guwahati and South East Guwahati water projects. The forum is urging the court to mandate a CBI investigation into the irregularities highlighted by the CAG. Additionally, the forum is calling for a court order directing authorities to expedite the completion of the South Central Guwahati and North Guwahati water projects and ensure water supply to all households within their respective jurisdictions.

Indrajit Dutta, president of the forum and the petitioner in the case, cited the CAG’s findings, which revealed that despite extensive delays, the departments responsible for the projects had incurred additional expenditure due to cost escalations. The CAG report also criticised the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) capacity to manage large-scale projects, noting a significant shortage of technical staff.

A key focus of the report is the South West Guwahati Water Supply Project, which, despite an initial completion target of September 2011 (30 months after commencement), remains unfinished. The CAG attributed the delays to flaws in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the non-completion of critical components, including the water treatment plant, semi-underground reservoirs, elevated service reservoir, pre-settlement tank, distribution grid lines, and intake well.

Furthermore, the audit revealed discrepancies in pipe laying. While the contractor was tasked with laying over 1,524 metres of pipes, only 1,179 metres were laid, a shortfall of 344 metres. “However, payments were made to the contractor without verifying the actual work done, resulting in overpayment of ₹ 4.09 crore,” the report stated.

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