Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Huge amounts of funds from the state exchequer have remained stuck in the form of several incomplete projects of various departments, including Water Resources, PWD, Irrigation, GMC, etc., in Assam. The stuck funds are of no use for the public, nor for the government.
According to official sources, around 35 projects, some of which started way back in 2010, remained incomplete in the state despite spending around Rs 387 crore. Whom will the government hold responsible for such misuse of funds? This is a crucial question.
Take the case of the Department of Water Resources. Six of its projects started between 2014 and 2020. The department spent around Rs 240 crore on these projects against their estimated cost of Rs 515 crore. The projects are far from being completed. Likewise, the Irrigation Department has 11 incomplete projects that started four years ago. The department spent Rs 63 crore against the estimated cost of Rs 58 crore. Despite the cost overruns, the projects are not yet complete.
The PWD has 16 projects started between 2009 and 2014. Against the estimated cost of Rs 105 crore, the department has already spent Rs 68 crore.
The Ulubari Market Complex of the GMC was started in 2014, and the civic body already spent Rs 1.49 crore against the estimated cost of Rs 2.60 crore. The authorities have halted the project works. The same is the fate of the Ganeshguri Market Project. Despite spending around 90 per cent of the estimated cost, the project is far from seeing the light of the day.
The latest report of the CAG (2024-25) said, “Capital block in incomplete projects would indicate the quality of capital expenditure. Blocking funds in incomplete projects or works negatively impinges on the quality of expenditure and deprives the state of the intended benefits of the projects for prolonged periods. Further funds borrowed for the implementation of these projects, during the respective years, would lead to an extra burden in terms of servicing debt and interest liabilities.”
According to sources, the officials concerned start projects without properly studying their feasibility and other related aspects. After starting projects, in some cases the lack of timely monitoring also slows down projects. There are also completed projects lying idle in the state due to non-completion of post-project formalities. The cold storage facility at Kharupetia has been lying idle for several years after the completion of the work, official sources said. Unless the government holds the officers accountable for such excessive delays, crores of rupees from the state exchequer will continue to be wasted.
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