SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR, April 21: A concerned citizen Okram Prasanta Singha filed series of complaints before appropriate authorities to know the fate of 11 km long drain under storm water draige related to urban infrastructure development scheme for small and medium towns. It started with his online complaint lodged on August 24, 2015 to the Department of Urban Development, Government of India, through centralized public grievance redress and monitoring systems. He alleged huge corruption and non implementation of Rs.6.321 crore project of Lakhipur town in Cachar district.
It is to be executed under storm water draige system and the grievance in this regard has the registration number 01662/2015. In the said grievance, it has been mentioned that the 6th state level sanctioning committee held on May 22, 2012 falsely reported that 52.07% of the works of Lakhipur storm water draige had already been completed. Taking the grievance seriously, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, forwarded the said complaint to the principal secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, Government of Assam, on December 7, 2015.
Following which, state Urban Development Department was directed to inquire and submit a report within 10 days to the director, town and country planning of the state. Okram Prasanta Singha has now decided to file RTI, seeking the certified copy of the report of the director, town and country planning, Assam. The work on storm water draige system was taken up on March 1, 2009, but till date there is no any trace of the drain in front of the Lakhipur police station, office of the Jirighat range, forest department among others.
It is interesting to note that the 6th state level sanctioning committee meeting on May 22, 2012 took up for review of all the 30 projects sanctioned and it was appraised by the director of town and country planning that all these are under various stages of implementation. In respect of Lakhipur storm water draige system, it was pointed out that 52.07% of total works have already been completed and works are in progress. The utilization certificate for obtaining second installment of Additiol Central Assistance (ACA) has already been submitted to the Centre as per the guidelines.