Shillong: Two ambitious higher education initiatives in Meghalaya, the Science and Commerce colleges situated in Mawphlang and Bahsapara (Mahendraganj), are experiencing significant setbacks, with completion timelines now stretched years beyond initial projections. The delayed projects have ignited concerns over administrative efficiency and financial accountability.
The Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma, has publicly called for detailed updates on the projects, expressing deep unease over repeated deadline extensions and perceived financial mismanagement. The demand for transparency underscores growing public frustration with the prolonged construction phases.
Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma disclosed that the Mawphlang campus has achieved only 86% completion and is now slated for handover by March 2025. The Bahsapara facility faces even greater challenges, with progress stalled at 66%, necessitating a revised completion date of March 2026. Both projects are under the purview of the Public Works Department (Buildings).
While the government has sanctioned the creation of 46 staff positions for each institution, essential infrastructure prerequisites remain outstanding. The critical processes of planning and estimating for external electricity supply, water supply connections, and the paving of approach roads are still in their nascent stages.
A particularly alarming revelation is the lapse of Rs 16.36 crore in allocated funds, attributed to the projects’ sluggish execution. The Mawphlang college received a total sanction of Rs 36.55 crore from the Government of India on June 30, 2017, under a 90:10 funding scheme. Of this, Rs 31.1685 crore has been disbursed in four tranches, with the latest installment of Rs 8.5075 crore released on October 8, 2024.
Similarly, the Bahsapara college was granted Rs 36.31 crore on the same date, with Rs 23.5274 crore released to date. However, the second installment of Rs 18.027 crore, issued in April 2023, saw a minimal utilization of just Rs 1.66 crore, resulting in the forfeiture of Rs 16.367 crore. A subsequent third installment of Rs 9.6634 crore was released in October 2024, yet persistent doubts linger about the effective deployment of the remaining funds.
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