No environmental clearance for ropeway project : CAG report
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 13 : In a significant development, it has come to light that the ropeway project at Ibudhou Marjing Ching at Heingang, Imphal East, is being implemented without obtaining the necessary forest and environmental clearances, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
The CAG report, tabled in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, noted that the Finance Department of the Government of India had approved a sanction of Rs 35 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure for the 'Development of Ropeway Project at Ibudhou Marjing, Heingang, Imphal East.'
The total cost of the project is Rs 51.61 crore, with the State Government expected to contribute Rs 16.61 crore.
The project, aimed at transforming Ibudhou Marjing Ching into a popular tourist destination, was scheduled for completion by March 2023.
However, according to an environmental impact assessment notification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, no aerial ropeway project can proceed without obtaining environmental clearance from the State-level Impact Assessment Authority.
Moreover, Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, clearly states that approval from the Government of India is mandatory for using forest land for non-forest purposes.
During the audit, it was found that the project required the diversion of 0.9001 hectare of forest land.
In response, the Tourism department requested forest clearance in February 2022 and the department received in-principle (Stage 1) approval from the Central Government in January 2023.
On the other hand, the State Forest Department wrote to the Tourism Department in February 2023, requesting Rs 18.72 lakh for installing boundary pillars, compensatory afforestation etc.
According to the report, the Tourism department had not released any funds as of August 2023, and the Forest department had not handed over the forest land for the project by that time.
However, the project was found to have been undertaken without obtaining the necessary environmental clearance, spending Rs 16.42 crore in its execution by March 2023.
The Tourism department had also admitted that the ropeway project was initiated without obtaining the environmental clearance during the Exit Conference held in February 2024.
The department agreed to release the fund for compensatory afforestation during the conference , however till May 2024, the fund wasn't released, according to the report.
Meanwhile, it was also found that a local contractor was entrusted with a project worth Rs 20.16 crore for civil work, electrical work, developmental work, and fire extinguishers for the project in July 2022.
However, during a joint verification, only the main gate was found to have been completed by March 2023.
Out of the 12 components of the project, only one was found to be completed by March 2023.
Upon checking the measurement books and vouchers, it was found that Rs 1.96 crore had been released to the contractor. Of the total Rs 1.96 crore received by the contractor, work amounting to Rs 0.71 crore was found to have not been executed.
The report stated that Rs 0.71 crore was fraudulently entered in the measurement book.
IMPHAL, Mar 13 : In a significant development, it has come to light that the ropeway project at Ibudhou Marjing Ching at Heingang, Imphal East, is being implemented without obtaining the necessary forest and environmental clearances, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
The CAG report, tabled in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, noted that the Finance Department of the Government of India had approved a sanction of Rs 35 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure for the 'Development of Ropeway Project at Ibudhou Marjing, Heingang, Imphal East.'
The total cost of the project is Rs 51.61 crore, with the State Government expected to contribute Rs 16.61 crore.
The project, aimed at transforming Ibudhou Marjing Ching into a popular tourist destination, was scheduled for completion by March 2023.
However, according to an environmental impact assessment notification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, no aerial ropeway project can proceed without obtaining environmental clearance from the State-level Impact Assessment Authority.
Moreover, Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, clearly states that approval from the Government of India is mandatory for using forest land for non-forest purposes.
During the audit, it was found that the project required the diversion of 0.9001 hectare of forest land.
In response, the Tourism department requested forest clearance in February 2022 and the department received in-principle (Stage 1) approval from the Central Government in January 2023.
On the other hand, the State Forest Department wrote to the Tourism Department in February 2023, requesting Rs 18.72 lakh for installing boundary pillars, compensatory afforestation etc.
According to the report, the Tourism department had not released any funds as of August 2023, and the Forest department had not handed over the forest land for the project by that time.
However, the project was found to have been undertaken without obtaining the necessary environmental clearance, spending Rs 16.42 crore in its execution by March 2023.
The Tourism department had also admitted that the ropeway project was initiated without obtaining the environmental clearance during the Exit Conference held in February 2024.
The department agreed to release the fund for compensatory afforestation during the conference , however till May 2024, the fund wasn't released, according to the report.
Meanwhile, it was also found that a local contractor was entrusted with a project worth Rs 20.16 crore for civil work, electrical work, developmental work, and fire extinguishers for the project in July 2022.
However, during a joint verification, only the main gate was found to have been completed by March 2023.
Out of the 12 components of the project, only one was found to be completed by March 2023.
Upon checking the measurement books and vouchers, it was found that Rs 1.96 crore had been released to the contractor. Of the total Rs 1.96 crore received by the contractor, work amounting to Rs 0.71 crore was found to have not been executed.
The report stated that Rs 0.71 crore was fraudulently entered in the measurement book.