Defending the ₹590.88 crore closure of the Ganol Stage-I Small Hydro Project in Tura, Power Minister AT Mondal asserted that the final project cost had been thoroughly vetted by IIT Guwahati and audited by an arbitrator empanelled by the Accountant General (AG). “Whatever the cost has been done, it has been sent to IIT Guwahati and it has been vetted. Second thing is that AG’s empanelled arbitrator also audited the entire account and accordingly Cabinet has a decision to close the Ganol project because it is now generating and if we hang on, then many other issues may crop in also, so it has been a close with that account,” he said.
The Cabinet has also approved a separate proposal to sanction ₹30 crore to clear all pending dues related to the 22.5 MW Ganol hydro project. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma confirmed that the final project cost stands at ₹590.88 crore.
Responding to Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma’s demand for an independent probe into the alleged “scam” in the implementation of the Ganol project, the Power Minister rejected any need for further inquiry. “I am not seeing anything like that,” he said, citing technical changes and regulatory interventions for the cost escalation.
“There is change in designing also. Earlier it was something like surface thing, then afterwards CWC, which is the agency for the designing and all these things, they have told that no, you have to go for a tunnel and all these things—many other issues all coupled together for this cost,” Mondal said.
“Earlier it was decided to go for something like surface type of channel to take the water to turbines, and then ultimately CWC told that you go for underground. So when you go for underground, there may be geological surfaces also. Initially planned by us only, then CWC was entrusted,” he added.
Reiterating transparency, Mondal clarified, “As I told that it has been vetted by IIT Guwahati, audited by the AG’s empanelled auditor, there is nothing that whether it cannot be made public or these things, there is nothing like that.”
He further stated, “Escalation is everywhere. Earlier in Leshka also, there was a little escalation. You can see many issues affect the Hydel power project but if you consider the life span of the project, it is still beneficial for the state.”
Separately, on the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Minister said, “It is the largest project almost involving every village in the state, and BDOs have been instructed to see that the program is implemented as per the terms and condition, whatever laid down. So maybe some areas, some pockets, there may be allegations, these things are there. I am not telling that there is no allegation at all, so as and where these allegations are there we see, we inquire about it also. Implementation is good.”
