SHILLONG, Sept 13 - Meghalaya Power Minister James Sangma today denied allegations of a scam in implementing the Saubhagya scheme in the State.
Replying to a short duration discussion initiated by Congress MLA from Ampati, Miani Shira, in the Assembly, Sangma said that the tender process was conducted in a transparent manner.
The Opposition Congress has been alleging that the tender process for implementing the Central Government scheme for rural electrification was tweaked to favour certain contractors.
The Congress members demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged scam. Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma alleged that the manner in which the scheme was being implemented pointed to a scam.
Refuting the allegations, the Power Minister said the present tender process �encourages transparency�. He added that certain tough conditions were laid to select contractors capable of executing the works.
�The contractor will have to work in a time-bound manner. Stringent conditions were put in the tender process,� Sangma maintained.
The minister said that the scheme was progressing well and in the past six months, 500 villages had been electrified. Under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, 1,991 villages were electrified during the last three years, he informed the House.
