JORHAT, March 24 - Ward Commissioner of Ward number 6 of Jorhat Municipal Board Ankur Gupta belonging to ruling BJP, has once again criticised the JMB for alleged malpractice and financial anomolies committed in the construction of a road recently under his ward from JMB fund received from the Centre under 2013-14 Finance Commission.
In a letter to the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Narayan Konwar and to the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Gupta has alleged that the cost-estimate prepared for repairing of Baruani Baat by the project engineer of JMB Jayanta Madhav Dutta, was later increased and also the length of the road to be repaired decreased by Dutta without taking approval of the Board.
He said that tenders were called for the work and the contract was awarded to a local contractor Azad Choudhury.
Thereafter, the nature of the work was changed and re-named as �improvement of Baruani Baat� and the cost estimate was again increased by the same project engineer without taking approval of the Board, Gupta alleged.
Gupta alleged he has also received complaints from public regarding �poor quality� of work done by the contractor.
The ward commissioner said he was not informed by the JMB about the changes done in the work estimate after awarding of the work.
Alleging violation of municipality rules and committing of financial anomalies, Gupta has urged the DC to order an inquiry into the matter and take necessary action.
During last two months, Gupta had pointed out alleged malpractices committed in the JMB by writing to the JMB Chairman Jayanta Borkakaty. The JMB, having 19 wards, is run by BJP having 12 ward members and rest by the Congress.
JMB has been hit by infighting since middle of last year resulting in replacement of the earlier chairperson Aruna Dutta (Member of ward number 1), who resigned on August 3, 2017.
Thereafter, Jayanata Borkakati assumed charge as the JMB Chairman on September 21 last year after party succeeded in getting the nine ward commissioners who opposed Borkakati, later agreed to accept him (Borkakati) as the chairman.
Similarly, the post of JMB vice-chairman got vacant in November 24 last year after then vice-chairman Anup Ghosh Dastidar resigned citing personal reasons.
On January 21 this year, Paban Bordoloi, Commissioner of Ward number 15 took over as the Vice-Chairman of JMB.
