AIZAWL: Mizoram’s inefficiencies in road planning and construction have come under intense scrutiny after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India highlighted an unnecessary expenditure of Rs 4.88 crore for the Darlak-Sihthiang Road Project in Mamit district.
A CAG report, presented in the assembly by Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Monday, revealed that the Darlak-Sihthiang Road, funded under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), appeared redundant as the village was already connected by the Chuhvel-Sihthiang paved road since December 2020.
The report further stated that the government’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) also showcased Sihthiang village as unconnected, proposing a 35.61 km road at a staggering Rs 58.32 crore. With a contract inked in August 2019 for Rs 52.81 crore, the project took off in February 2020, only to grind to a halt in July 2021 because of missing forest clearances.
Although the Mizoram Rural Road Development Agency of the state Public Works Department and the contractor had aspirations of a June 2020 completion, by April 2022, only Rs 4.88 crore was spent. The rest of the funds lay unused, hinting at an unfortunate waste of taxpayer money.
Documents reviewed by the CAG indicated that the Sihthiang village’s connection was, in fact, facilitated by an 11 km Chuhvel-Sihthiang road financed by the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Two contractors, M/s North East Consultancy Services (NECS) and V Malsawmdawngliana, carried out this project for a cumulative cost of Rs 8.70 crore, wrapping up by December 2020.
Distressingly, the CAG underscored the futility of the Rs. 4.88 crore expenditure on the Darlak-Sihthiang road project. “It was wasteful,” the report read, as the whole venture is now pegged for cancellation.
Reacting to these revelations, the state government candidly admitted in August 2022 that the PMGSY project was redundant given the NABARD loan-enabled connectivity, and formally proposed to the Ministry of Rural Development to call it off.
