PAC baffled by MeECL for executing fish pond project

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 19, 2020

Execution of a project to augment a government fish farm by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), which is mandated to improve the power generation in the state, has baffled an Assembly panel.

The issue relating to the delay in completing the project was also taken up at a meeting of the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by its chairman and Congress legislator from Nongthymmai Charles Pyngrope here on Tuesday.

The Centre through the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has sanctioned Rs 2 crore under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for the project to repair and augmenting fish ponds at a government fish farm in Umsning, Ri Bhoi District.

The RKVY is a central assistance scheme to incentivise States to draw up plans for their agriculture sector more comprehensively, taking agro-climatic conditions, natural resource issues and technology into account, and integrating livestock, poultry and fisheries more fully.

According to sources in the fisheries department, the MeECL has started executing the project since 2016.

After the meeting, member of the committee and Congress legislator from Mawsynram Himalaya Shangpliang informed that as per the secretary of the fisheries department, the project was given to the MeECL without the knowledge of the department.

He said the fund sanctioned by the Centre was also given to augment the fish ponds by providing 50 lakh fingerlings.

“What has happened was the MeECL did a very shoddy work and had informed the fisheries department only after 98 per cent of the work was completed. By the time the officers of the fisheries went to inspect the ponds, they refused to take over the ponds saying that they are not fit for fish farming as these ponds are all leaking. This means that Rs 2 crore have gone down the drain,” Shangpliang said.

In view of today’s findings, the MLA informed that the PAC has decided to conduct a site inspection to the government fish farm at Umsning on May 26, before fixing responsibilities on concerned departments and officers.

“We will go and inspect the whole project then future course of action will follow after that,” he said.

When asked, Shangpliang said the question also arises that how can MeECL execute fish ponds when it is responsible for power generation.

“I asked a question that at what point of time and who is responsible for this kind of decision when fisheries have their own engineering wing. In case they do not have, the department could have outsourced it to somebody else who has knowledge and expertise in fisheries,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, reliable sources in the fisheries department informed that the decision to engage the MeECL to augment the government fish farm was taken by the then state government under the leadership of former chief minister Mukul Sangma.

According to the sources, the fisheries minister Comingone Ymbon had also conducted an inspection to the fish farm at Umsning and found that construction of fish ponds have been completed but without a single drop of water due to leakage problem.