SHILLONG, SEPT 11: The state government is still awaiting the response of the Centre on its request for additional fund amounting to Rs 100 crore for the completion of the much-awaited Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) phase – III.
“We would require additional fund of another Rs 100 crore to ensure the completion of the GSWSS phase-III and a proposal for this has been submitted to the Centre on May earlier this year,” Minister in-charge PHE Samlin Malngiang told reporters on Tuesday.
Informing that the state government is still waiting for the response of the Centre, Malngiang said that the support was sought due to cost overrun in view of the fact that the project was sanctioned 10 years ago (2008).
“Therefore we have decided to propose the revise estimate for the project and the officials of the department has been asked to conduct a follow up with the ministry concerned,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that the project was funded at a cost of Rs 193.50 crore with the central share fixed at Rs 174.15 crore and the state share at Rs 19.35 crore. The state was also penalized earlier in which around Rs 18 crore was deducted out of Rs 174.15 crore.
Earlier, the project was first targeted to be completed on May 2011. However despite setting different timelines for its completion, the department has yet again failed to meet its recent deadline fixed on March, last year.
Asked, the minister however said the state may have to find out ways and means to include the project in the state’s schemes in case the Centre turns down the request.
According to him, the department is working hard to ensure that the project is completed at the earliest in order to ensure that the present problem of water scarcity faced by the people of Greater Shillong is resolved.
By Our Reporter
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