‘Two-wheelers, cars used as excavators’

Audit of Border Area Development Programme reveals dubious payments

Google Maps image locates Champai block in Mizoram.

Moving earth in mountainous Mizoram is apparently done by two-wheelers and small cars.

This interesting fact emerges from a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which notes that earth-cutting and excavation as part of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) from 2012-2017 along the State’s border with Myanmar, was done by scooters, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws and cars.

Registration checks

The report, tabled in the Assembly a week ago, underlines the “doubtful hiring of excavators” and points to anomalies in the implementation of BADP.

According to the CAG report, Mizoram’s Rural Development department and block development officers of Champhai and Lungsen Blocks hired “earth excavators” for 67 road projects along the border. A cross-verification of the registration numbers of the “earth movers” mentioned in money receipts with the State Transport Department revealed they were two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and small cars.

Payment of ₹3.15 crore was made to contractors for such “earth excavators”, the report said.

Challenging physics

The CAG also found that the same vehicles recorded as earth excavators or trucks were used at two or more different places at the same time in 20 of the 67 BADP projects.

Officials of the department have explained that the negotiations with the excavator owners was mostly on mobile phones, and as such, some words or numbers might have been misheard leading to wrong entry of registration numbers in the bills.

The CAG said the reply indicated the laxity of the departmental officials concerned who did not deem it necessary to ascertain the genuineness of the claims.

The Congress under Lal Thanhawla had ruled Mizoram during the audit period cited in the CAG report.