DIBRUGARH, Nov 17 – Work delays at the Rs 5400-crore Assam Gas Cracker Project of the Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Limited (BCPL) has upset key officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The PMO and the Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers reviewed progress of work on the project on Thursday.
According to sources, the PMO has instructed that the Managing Director and Director (Finance) of BCPL be immediately appointed for the smooth day-to-day functioning of the national project. These two appointments have been caught up in a bureaucratic wrangle at the National Capital, and is affecting work culture at theproject site at Lepetkata here. Interviews for these two posts were held in August this year.
The PMO noted with concern that in the past four months, construction activity has become too sluggish for comfort and has issued directives to take immediate corrective measures.
The Union Cabinet Monitor for the project, BK Handique too has expressed strong displeasure at the slow progress of works in the past four months. He suggested several measures to the PMO for onward instructions to the BCPL authority, in the interest of time-bound completion and commissioning of the gas crackerproject. He observed several lacunae in the administration and supervision of works at the project site, and held these responsible for the resultant construction delays.
Handique also noted with serious concern the reports of theft and pilferage that is
taking place at the Lepetkata project site. On Friday night itself, electrical cables were stolen, while the police at Borboruah and Lepetkata are allegedly indifferent to these recurring cases of theft and pilferage of public property.
Meanwhile, what has surprised people in the know of matters of the project is that the BCPL and GAIL authorities are yet to take any action on a major penalty imposition on one key BCPL official by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The CVC, on September 1 this year recommended imposition of major penalty on PN Prasad, who is now functioning as the BCPL chief operating officer. This GAIL official was found guilty of corrupt practices by the CVC when he was general manager of GAIL operations at Agra and Firozabad two years ago. That despite the CVC stricture he continues to function as the BCPLchief operating officer and sending signals that corruption is not an issue in GAIL and BCPL. GAIL, which is the major (70%) stakeholder and project operator of BCPL, received the CVC instructions on September 7 this year. The Assam Gas Cracker Demand Committee has sent a strong note on the matter to the Union Government, seeking immediate remedies.
The Committee has also urged the Centre to proactively monitor the progress of work on all national projects in the Northeast, to ensure that people of the region enjoy the benefits of these projects and not be forced to remain mute spectators to utterly sluggish pace of construction activity. These projects include the gas cracker unit, road and bridge development schemes and renovation of the railway system.
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