Guwahati: Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal said that numerous contractors for a water supply project sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) might soon be arrested.
Singhal said, “Many contractors related to the JICA water supply project might get arrested. At first, FIR will be lodged against them and soon after they will be arrested. They will be kept under lock-up.”
This move was taken in response to complaints of duty neglect from numerous contractors which inconvenienced the general public.
The minister announced that the contractors whose work was neglected would be relieved of their responsibilities and that new contractors would be hired shortly.
“Many contractors dug road for the JICA project, however, did not repair it later. It was the responsibility of the contractors to repair the road,” Singhal said.
Singhal added that avtions will be taken against these contractors.
The state government had initiated a probe into claims of fraud and irregularities with the JICA project in Guwahati in February 2022.
The establishment of a panel, to be led by Paban Kumar Borthakur, the state government’s Additional Chief Secretary was announced by the government in an official notification.
Notably, several JICA-funded water delivery projects in Guwahati are still are not completed and are way past their prescribed time limit.