Dhubri, Sept. 15: A contractor was arrested last night for allegedly misappropriating Rs 20 lakh sanctioned for anti-erosion projects along the Tipkai river in Dhubri district.
Abul Hussain was given the contract by the water resources department and the amount was sanctioned under Dhubri district untied fund. But hardly any work was executed and he allegedly pocketed the money.
A police source said Hussain was arrested on the basis of an FIR filed in Dhubri police station (Sadar) by social activist Noor Islam Sheikh of Gauripur last year.
The officer-in-charge of Dhubri police station, Manik Kalita, said according to the FIR, a fund of Rs 20 lakh was released to the Dhubri water resources department in 2012-13 from the deputy commissioner’s untied fund in order to execute permanent protection against erosion in Piasbari village and Tipkai Bazaar.
“Hussain had been evading arrest for long. Acting on specific information, we arrested him from his house in Rajapara, under Bogribari police station yesterday,” he said.
Asked about the anti-erosion works and alleged misappropriation of funds, executive engineer of the divisional water resources department, Nikunja Kalita, said: “I do not know about the anti-erosion works executed by the department. I will have to see.”
Last week, the Dhubri district unit of BJP had alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 30 lakh, released to the construction committee under the MP local area development fund for anti-erosion work along river Gangadhar in Golokganj constituency of Dhubri district.
BJP district general secretary Prosenjit Dutta said Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal sanctioned Rs 50 lakh from his MPLAD fund to the Dhubri deputy commissioner.
On receipt of the sanction letter, the deputy commissioner released Rs 30 lakh to the president and member secretary of the construction committee for palliative measures to protect North Tokrechhora and South Tokrechhora villages from erosion and flood damage, but when inspected by the party’s senior members, no work whatsoever had been executed, Dutta alleged.
