Shillong: The Meghalaya government has requested the police to investigate a multi-crore scam allegedly involving contractors and state engineers in the construction of Shillong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura road at the cost of Rs 2,366.77 crore.
The FIR was filed by PWD (NH) chief engineer AM Kharmawphlang with the Sadar Police station on September 10 this year, who relied on information provided to him during an ongoing arbitration proceedings conducted by the Arbitral Tribunal.
The requested investigation period spans from September 20, 2010, to September 10, 2024.
Nine people, including senior engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD) and officials of two private companies based in Telangana and Haryana, were named in an FIR lodged in this connection.
“Several lapses forced the state government to lodge an FIR into the road project amounting to over Rs 2,300 crore,” a senior official of the Public Works Department said.
The road project connecting the state capital Shillong with Tura, via Nongstoin and Rongjeng, was approved in 2010 as part of the Special Road Development Programme-North East of the central government.
The official said that the cost of the Rs 1303.83 crore initial contract was revised several times and it was enhanced to Rs 2366.77 crore. The original scheduled date of completion was 2014.
The nine accused named in the police complaint include officials from the two private companies, the former PWD chief engineer, the former executive engineer, and others.
The arbitration proceedings were initiated by the private companies after the department did not comply with their demands for a revised contract.
The arbitration process has revealed that several criminal acts and omissions were committed by individuals, as well as unidentified persons and officials working in collusion, with the intent to defraud the public exchequer of a substantial amount.
“… officials/engineers in collusion with the contractors have cheated, defrauded, indulged in fabrication of record and adopted corrupt means to cause huge loss to the public exchequer,” the FIR said.
The conspiracy is required to be unearthed by a systemic, detailed and thorough police investigation, it said.
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A senior police officer stated that a case has been filed and an investigation is underway.
Given the seriousness of the matter, the police may transfer the case to the CID or another specialized team.
