AJYP moves WRD Minister Pijush Hazarika over corruption in embankment construction

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad (AJYP) filed complaints to the Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Pijush Hazarika and Chief Engineer Borsing Rongpi alleging corruption and misappropriation of funds with regard to implementing embankment construction schemes and projects in the district. In this connection, the organization submitted separate memoranda to the WRD minister and the Chief Engineer who came to visit Upper and North Assam to assess the situation with five-day-long programmes. Notably, the Minister along with WRD officers inspected the erosion affected and flood vulnerable areas under Lakhimpur district on Saturday.

Corruption in Embankment Construction

In the memoranda, the organization alleged that no embankment construction and erosion prevention schemes had been implemented in Lakhimpur district as per estimate. In this regard, the organization alleged that fund was misappropriated with regard to implementation of Ranganadi embankments strengthening and construction project with the investment of Rs 361 crore and Dikrong embankments strengthening and construction project with the investment of Rs 105 crore.

"On the other hand, patronization of corruption has been observed in the construction work of Ghancharai-Bhimpora-Hekerajan embankment. Moreover, no transparent information is available about the investment of Rs 28 lakhs allotted for white-ant control scheme in Ranganadi embankments," the memoranda stated.

Through the same memoranda, the organization demanded the WRD minister and Chief Engineer to mitigate erosion and flood problems in the district caused by rivers like mighty Brahmaputra, Subansiri, Shingara, Dikrong, Kananadi, to close the construction of Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project being constructed at Gerukamukh by NHPC, to close the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Plant operated by NEEPCO, located at Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh to save the district from flood.

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