In Arunachal, community hall ‘completed’ in 2 days

RTI petition helps reveal the time taken to build the hall; activists allege collusion between officials

How long does a community hall with an estimated cost of ₹3 million take to be built? Such a building in Arunachal Pradesh was completed in two days. But, as a students’ body has found out, it exists only on paper.

‘Record time’

The District Rural Development Agency had undertaken the construction of an auditorium-cum-community hall at Liromoba in West Siang district under the Social and Infrastructure Development Fund for the 2016-17 financial year. The project was said to have been completed in a record time and a bill of ₹2.8 million paid to the contractor.

The record time turned out to be an incredible two days, the Kargu Kardi Students’ Union found out through a petition under the Right to Information Act.

“According to the documents provided, work on the auditorium was started on March 29, 2017, and completed on March 31, 2017. If that were not enough, the photographs of a hall for ‘gaonburahs’ (village headmen), completed some time ago, were provided as evidence of completion of work on the auditorium,” Tuku Gako of the union said.

Allegations of graft

“By no stretch of imagination can a large building be built in two days. It is apparent that officials colluded with the contractor to use the money for a building that does not exist,” he said. The union leaders said they lodged a complaint with the police in Aalo, the district headquarters, in July last year, and wrote to the Deputy Commissioner twice — the second time on February 9 this year — and the Chief Secretary. “We are yet to hear from them,” Mr. Gako said.

Deputy Commissioner Swetika Sachan could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

A district official said the matter was being looked into by a separate team.