TMC accuses Meghalaya government of Rs 632 crore irregularities in the name of Meghalaya Ecotourism

Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Meghalaya government of funds mismanagement worth Rs 632 crore in the name of the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project.

Notably, just months ahead of the assembly election, the All India Trinamool Congress claimed that the Meghalaya government under Conrad Sangma and IAS officer D Vijay Kumar has conceived over Rs 632 crores of fund mismanagement.

In an official statement, the TMC claimed that immense financial irregularities of USD 79.05 million (i.e. Rs 632 crores) in the Meghalaya Ecotourism infrastructure Development Project have been done under the company Meghalayan Age which is spearheaded by CM Conrad Sangma’s top aide IAS officer D Vijay Kumar.

Highlighting the facts, the TMC claimed that the company is responsible for implementing the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project for which the Meghalaya govt has taken a loan of USD 79.05 million (i.e. Rs 632 crores) from the New Development Bank (NDB).

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Further, tenders and RFPs have been floated for these projects - however, the tenders have been floated by Meghalayan Age Ltd and not by the government of Meghalaya which means that none of the details of the tenders is public and the process of awarding these tenders and the names of contractors who have been awarded these tenders to be secret and not revealed publicly, claims the TMC.

"Shockingly, the company Meghalayan Age Ltd. under IAS D Vijay Kumar has NOT FILED A SINGLE FINANCIAL REPORT with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs since its inception in 2020. In that period, an amount of USD 79.05 million (i.e. Rs 632 crores) from the New Development Bank (NDB) has been sanctioned for ecotourism projects by Meghalayan Age. However, not a single penny has been accounted for. Moreover, the company Meghalayan Age Ltd. has floated tenders worth crores for numerous projects as well as for consultants. The MDA government has a track record of appointing “consultants” with a process that has zero transparency. Keeping with that tradition, IAS D Vijay Kumar has sanctioned crores worth of projects without any transparency in how the projects were awarded, to whom they were awarded, and what was the criteria for awarding the projects," added the release.

The National Spokesperson of All India Trinamool Congress, Saket S Gokhale demands that IAS officer D Vijay Kumar and CM Conrad Sangma must answer where 600+ crores of funds have gone and why Meghalayan Age Ltd. has not filed a single financial statement as required under the law.

"We also demand that the people of Meghalaya MUST be informed about where funds have been spent by Meghalayan Age Ltd., who are the contractors that have been
awarded these projects, and on what basis have the projects been awarded," added the release.