Meghalaya: Multicrore road project scam rocks state, nine officials charged

A Rs 2,366 crore road construction project in Meghalaya has come under criminal investigation after allegations of widespread corruption and collusion between state engineers and private contractors surfaced on Monday, October 21.

Nine individuals, including senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineers and officials from private companies based in Telangana and Haryana, have been named in a First Information Report (FIR). The case centres on a major highway project connecting Shillong to Tura via Nongstoin and Rongjeng.

PWD Chief Engineer AM Kharmawphlang filed the police complaint based on evidence that emerged during ongoing arbitration proceedings. The FIR alleges that officials and contractors engaged in record fabrication, cheating, and corruption, causing substantial losses to public funds.

The project, initially approved in 2010 under the Special Road Development Programme-North East, saw its cost balloon from Rs 1,303 crore to Rs 2,366 crore through multiple revisions. Originally scheduled for completion in 2014, the road remains unfinished.

"Officials and engineers, in collusion with contractors, have adopted corrupt means to cause huge losses to the public exchequer," states the FIR, calling for a systematic and thorough police investigation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.

The criminal case was triggered when private companies initiated arbitration proceedings after the PWD rejected their demands for contract revision. Police officials have confirmed that an investigation into the multi-crore scam is underway. (With inputs from PTI)