CAG pulls up Mizoram govt for ‘wasteful expenditure’ of over Rs. 15 cr in ropeway project

The ropeway project was sanctioned in 2017 when there was a Congress govt in Mizoram and the project was to be completed in 30 months

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has rapped the Mizoram government for wasteful expenditure of Rs. 15.09 crore on the installation of cable-car or rope-way in Aizawl.

The CAG report tabled by Chief Minister Zoramthanga in the Assembly on February 16 said that the Union Ministry of Tourism in March 2017 had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 99.07 crore for the development of eco-adventure circuit in Aizawl and western Mizoram’s Mamit town under Eco-circuits theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The projects were to be completed and commissioned within 30 months, it said.

According to the sanction order, the state government would take all necessary clearances before undertaking the projects and should set up a monitoring committee to be headed by tourism secretary to monitor the physical and financial progress of the projects, it said.

The progress report should be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism on a quarterly basis.

The state government appointed a consultant for development of the eco-adventure project in May 2017 and paid Rs. 2.97 crore as consultancy charges.
The task of the consultant included site survey and site clearance, among others, the report said.

The report said that the project components, including cable car between Durtlang and Chaltlang, were executed by two firms through restricted tenders in August/September 2017.

The project was to be completed by December 2018.

The Mizoram Tourism Development Agency (MTDA) under the state tourism department had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 15.09 crore during September 2007 to November 2018 towards payment to contractors for the installation of cable car from Durtlang to Chaltlang in Aizawl.

The CAG report said that the consultant did not mention in its Detailed Project Report (DPR) that the proposed project would go through three power transmission lines. It also did not submit a feasibility report, it said.

The meeting between the tourism department and representatives of state Power and Electricity Department and Power Grid Corporation in September 2018 agreed that the proposed ropeway (cable car) project might not be feasible and might be shifted to another location from the planned location, the report said.

The Union Tourism Ministry observed that the work component of the ropeway was undertaken without obtaining the necessary approvals and without assessing the feasibility, the report said.

To avoid any further delay, the Centre dropped the proposed cable car project amounting to Rs. 24.83 crore and asked the state government to bear the expenditure incurred on it.

The Centre also dropped all other components of the project worth Rs. 31. 14 crore in Durtlang area, the CAG report said.

The case of ropeway project between Durtlang and Chaltlang and skywalk project at Sakawrhmuituaitlang near Durtlang is currently pending in the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court.

An official said that a fresh investigation into the Ropeway-Skywalk scam is likely to be initiated by Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) after it has been investigated by the state’s Anti Corruption Bureau.
Congress was in power in the state from December 2008 to November 2018.
However, no Congress leaders and former tourism minister John Rotluangliana could be contacted for comment.

Also read: Mizoram: Union Minister promises improved e-connectivity

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