Rs 114 crore pocketed, schools left high & dry

ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING SCHEME

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Oct 11: The Assam government had implemented a Centrally-funded scheme to install rainwater harvesting structures in schools across the State. For the project - christened the Rooftop Rain Water Harvesting Scheme - more than Rs 114 crore was spent during the years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Though the structures were installed in several schools, it is now learnt that the works have gone kaput in a number of schools even before functioning began.

"Some contractors had come and installed the structure in our school in 2014. However, students haven't got any drinking water from it till date. We are still using the water from the well in the school campus. The contractors who installed the structure did not even explain to us how the scheme works. In fact, parts of the structure like pipes are now beginning to crumble," says a teacher at ndimikir LP School, located at Sachal in the city.

"A boring in the campus would have benefited us more," she quipped.

The status of the scheme in most schools is the same.

It is alleged that the State government accorded more emphasis in awarding the works to contractors rather than ensuring proper implementation of the scheme.

The works were allotted during the time of the then PHE minister Gautam Roy.

A proper official scrutiny will reveal how the funds were wasted, benefiting only the contractors while leaving beneficiary schools high and dry.