Ashok Singhal: Many Contractors of JICA May Get Arrested Soon

Guwahati: Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal on Tuesday said numerous contractors for a water supply project sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) may soon face imprisonment.

Singhal said, “Many contractors related to the JICA water supply project might get arrested. At first, FIR will be lodged against them and soon after they will be arrested. They will be kept under lock-up.”

This step was taken in response to complaints of duty neglect from many contractors, which inconvenienced the general public.

The minister announced that the contractors whose work was neglected would be relieved of their responsibilities and that new contractors would be hired shortly.

“Many contractors dug road for the JICA project, however, did not repair it later. It was the responsibility of the contractors to repair the road,” Singhal said.

Singhal added that these contractors will face appropriate punishment.

The state government had initiated a probe into claims of fraud and irregularities with the JICA project in Guwahati in February 2022.

The government in an official notification had informed about setting up a panel headed by the then Additional Chief Secretary to the state government, Paban Kumar Borthakur.

Notably, several JICA-funded water delivery projects in Guwahati are still unfinished and much behind schedule.

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