Tripura demands CBI probe into ‘poor quality work’ by central agencies

Agartala, Sep 19 (IANS) The Tripura government has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the "poor quality" of work undertaken by central government agencies, like Hindustan Steel Works Construction Ltd, in the northeastern state, a state Minister said here on Tuesday.

Tripura PWD and Health Minister Badal Choudhury said the demand was raised during the two-day visit of Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation D.V. Sadananda Gowda to the state last week.

"During a review meeting we requested the Union Minister to conduct a probe by the CBI into the works of central agencies in different projects," Choudhury told IANS.

Choudhury appreciated Gowda's review meet on the works of various projects by the central agencies.

"Quality of work of different central agencies, especially the HSCL (Hindustan Steel Works Construction Ltd) are very poor and they take a long time, much beyond the schedule, to complete the projects. There are many complaints against the work of HSCL," he said.

HSCL, which is under the Union Ministry of Steel, under a tripartite agreement with the Tripura government has been undertaking various projects in the state, including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), construction of district hospitals and concrete drainage system.

Choudhury said Gowda assured he would look into the state government's demand and directed the central agencies to maintain quality and adhere to the schedule to complete the projects and schemes.

Besides the HSCL, other central government agencies working on projects include National Buildings Construction Corporation, National Projects Construction Corporation Limited, Northeastern Electric Power Corporation, Airports Authority of India, Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), National Highways Authority of India, Power Grid Corporation Limited.

Choudhury told Gowda that various important projects were pending and urged that work on them is started.

"Construction works for expansion of Agartala airport, construction of a bridge over river Feni to connect Bangladesh with India, various major bridges linking the national highways should start immediately," he added.

Gowda inspected various ongoing centrally funded projects in Tripura during his visit.

He asked the NFR official to complete the new India-Bangladesh railway project along Tripura.

The Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project, which was finalised in January 2010, is likely to be completed by next year end and would be operational by January 2019.

The Agartala-Akhaura railway line would facilitate carriage of goods to and from both the countries and benefit India's land-locked northeastern states. It would also reduce the journey time between Agartala and Kolkata, via Bangladesh, by a third, from 1,613-km through mountainous terrain to a mere 514 km.

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