Guwahati: Senior Meghalaya BJP leader Bernard Marak has once again questioned the state government over the allocation of projects to a blacklisted company in Garo Hills.
Marak who is also the Vice President of the Meghalaya BJP, alleged that the ARSS Infrastructure Projects Pvt Ltd was a blacklisted company and the government despite knowing this, awarded it with some projects in Garo Hills.
Marak speaking to the media stated, “I have not received any response from any authorities, and if they continue to remain silent, I will escalate the matter further. We demand an explanation on how this company is operating in Garo Hills.”
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Speaking of the project involving the completion of construction work on National Highway 51, Marak claimed that the initial contract was awarded to Manoranjan Company, which failed to meet the project deadlines.
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Subsequently, the project was transferred to another company named Shubham, allegedly affiliated with ARSS. Marak claimed, “The entire team working on the project is from ARSS, a company blacklisted in the state due to irregularities in executing the Shillong-Dawki road project.”
Marak further said, “We oppose the engagement of ARSS Company or any similar entities in our state’s development endeavours. Despite being ousted for substandard work in one part of Meghalaya, ARSS continues its operations in Garo Hills, much to the dissatisfaction of local residents.”
The BJP leader also claimed that ARSS lacked a trading license and has not registered with the GHADC for the payment of professional taxes, resulting in revenue losses for the council.