Shillong: The Meghalaya government will review the construction of a zoo in Ri-Bhoi district, which has been pending for more than a decade.

Meghalaya forest and environment minister Lahkmen Rymbui told reporters here on Monday that a review meeting will be held next week on this important project.

Referring to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report that pointed out the pending construction of the state zoo, Rymbui said, "The CAG report was tabled in the Assembly only on April 20. We are yet to study the report. We will review this project and study the CAG report in detail and take corrective measures. We wanted to complete this project and we have to take care and preserve animals."

The CAG has observed that even after 10 years of release of grants, work on the state zoo has not progressed and said the project has been marred because of "mishandling" by the state forest and environment department.

In a report, the CAG said the 12th Finance Commission in 2005 had recommended a grant of Rs 30 crore to construct a zoological park at Umtrew.

Accordingly, Rs 12 crore was released to the forest and environment department in 2007.

The master plan prepared by the department projected an expenditure of Rs 92.07 crore over a period of 10 years.

The department had not worked out the source of the balance Rs 62.07 crore.

The objective was to provide conservation, breeding for endangered wild species and shelter to wild animals rescued from forests.

The CAG report also pointed out that though the master plan of the project was to be prepared in June, 2008, the department submitted the plan to the Central Zoo Authority only in September, 2014, and it was approved in December 2014.