The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said that the Mizoram government incurred a wasteful expenditure of Rs. 15.09 crore on installation of cable-car or rope-way in Aizawl.
The CAG report which was put forward by chief minister Zoramthanga in the assembly on February 16, said that the Union Ministry of Tourism in March 2017 had granted the expenditure sanction of Rs. 99.07 crore. This is for the development of ecoadventure circuits in Aizawl and Mamit town in the western part of the state under Eco-circuits theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The projects were to be completed and commissioned within 30 months, it said.
As per the sanction order, the state government would take all necessary clearances before undertaking the project and should set up a monitoring committee to be headed by tourism secretary to monitor the physical and financial progress of the project.
The progress report should be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism on a quarterly basis. The state government has appointed a consultant for development of eco-adventure project in the year 2017. It had made payment of Rs. 2.97 crore as consultancy charges.
It is to be mentioned that the task of the consultant included site survey and site clearance, among others.
The report further said that the project components, including cable car between Durtlang and Chaltlang, was executed by two firms through restricted tenders in August/September 2017. The project was to be completed by December 2018.
The Mizoram Tourism Development Agency (MTDA) under the state tourism department had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 15.09 crore during the period September 2019 to November 2018 towards payment to contractors for the installation of cable car from Durtlang to Chaltlang in Aizaw.
