Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has recommended the foreclosure of five projects in Assam due to various reasons, like non-completion of projects on time. So, the Assam government has to return a part of the amount released earlier to the central government.
A meeting of the Empowered Inter-ministerial Committee (EIMC) of the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS)-OTRI (Other Than Road Infrastructure) was held recently under the chairmanship of the DoNER Secretary. It was at this meeting that the decision to foreclose on the five projects was taken.
One of the projects recommended for foreclosure is the Bongaigaon Town Water Supply Scheme under NLCPR, with a cost of Rs 32.02 crore.
According to an office memorandum of DoNER, the project was sanctioned on January 21, 2011, for an approved cost of Rs. 32.02 Cr. The amount released towards the project is Rs 13.83 Cr. The project has been recommended for foreclosure on an ‘as is where is’ basis by the State-Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) of Assam. As per the outcome report submitted by the state government, the physical and financial progress of the project is 54% and 53.61%, respectively. The scheme was partially commissioned in Feb 2023, benefitting 1,250 households under 5 wards in Bongaigaon town. The project has been inspected by Consultant NEC, and the project has been reported as partially operational with an outcome score of 7 out of 10.
After detailed deliberation, the EIMC recommended the foreclosure of the project on an as is where is basis, subject to the condition that the state government should complete and operationalize the incomplete work components at their own cost.
The next project foreclosed by DoNER is ST&D – Construction of a 38 km, 33 kV line from Balipara to Bhalukpung. The project was sanctioned on June 30, 2005. The amount released towards the project is Rs 1.33 Cr. The project has been recommended for foreclosure by SLEC with a refund of the entire released amount.
Another foreclosed project is the Langklangvong Water Supply Scheme in the Karbi Anglong district. The project was sanctioned on December 2, 2009, for an approved cost of Rs 5.96 Cr. The amount released towards the project is Rs 2.11 Cr. The project has been recommended for foreclosure by SLEC with a refund of the entire released amount.
Next on the list of foreclosed projects is the construction of a new 33/11 kV, 2x5 MVA substation at Thirubari with 45 km of 11 kV lines and 55 km of 33 kV lines from Dhaligaon to Thirubari. The project was sanctioned on November 23, 2012, for an approved cost of Rs. 8.91 Cr. The amount released towards the project is Rs 3.21 Cr. The project has been recommended for foreclosure by SLEC on December 26, 2024, with a refund of the entire released amount.
The fifth project recommended for foreclosure is the construction of a guide bund near RCC bridge No.8/2 over river Tonganee on the road from NH-52 to Kuwaripukhuri via Fakirpara. The project was sanctioned on February 25, 2013, for an approved cost of Rs. 2.09 Cr. The amount released towards the project is Rs 0.75 Cr. The project has been recommended for foreclosure by SLEC with a refund of the entire released amount.
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