CID officials visit Water Resources department office in Silchar

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: A team of CID officials' visit to the Water Resources department office in Silchar has created a ripple in the flood-ravaged town. As per Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's order, CID had started an investigation into the Bethukandi dyke breach incident which caused massive flood in Silchar town. Questions had been raised on the role of some Water Resources department officials as pictures and videos of a few officers at the controversial site in Bethukandi were found. Sarma had earlier said, allegations against the department would also be put under the scanner. Cachar police had already arrested four persons including Nazir Hussain Laskar, a contractor of the Water Resources department. Against this backdrop, the CID visit to the Water Resources office created a stir in the department. Sources said, three CID officials had interacted with Executive Engineer K Zaman and Assistant Executive Engineer Debabrata Paul.

They further scrutinized some documents. The CID team had reportedly quizzed the engineers about the ongoing Rs 10.44 crore embankment protection work near the Bethukandi dyke. Allegations were raised by various quarters that to divert the attention from the poor quality of the embankment work, the dyke was intentionally breached. Congress working president Kamalakha Dey Purkayastha alleged that a nexus between officials and contractors led to the breach of the dyke.

CID officials, however, refused to make any comment. Water Resources officials too avoided the scribes. However, a source in the department said, "CID visit was a routine one as they checked some papers."

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