Injudicious selection of site for setting up of a modern and hygienic fish market at Saiden, Nongpoh in Ri Bhoi district has led to its non-utilisation even after more than 3 years of completion, resulting in idle expenditure of Rs 1.44 crore. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report said that no feasibility study was conducted before deciding on the site for construction of the modern fish market.
“Thus, construction of the market at Saiden village, Nongpoh, 6.2 kms away from Nongpoh main market, without any feasibility study, has resulted in low footfall at the fish market and the market remained un-utilised even after passage of more than three years from the date of its completion,” it said while adding that “this resulted in idle expenditure of ₹ 1.44 crore besides defeating the main objective of providing a modern and hygienic market for fish farmers for marketing their produce.”
The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India (GoI) in December, 2015 accorded approval of Rs 1.65 crore under NFDB 2015-16 for construction of modern and hygienic fish market at Saiden with a fund sharing ratio of 55:45 between the NFDB and Government of Meghalaya (GoM).
The objective of the project was to improve the livelihood of the fish farmers of the State by providing proper storage facilities and hygienic fish markets for selling the harvested fish. The fish market was inaugurated on August 17, 2018, but was handed over to the Executive Committee, Dorbar Shnong, only on July 12, 2019 i.e., almost a year after the inauguration of the market. Reasons for delay in handing over the market complex to Dorbar Shnong, as per the MoA were not available on record. Further, the Department on September 21, 2022 stated that the delay in handing over the market complex to Dorbar Shnong was on account of delay in installation of transformer and water pump.
Audit observed that in less than eight months of operation, the Headman, Saiden Village reported (29 February 2020) that they could not continue the management of this market complex and had completely stopped operations because shopkeepers were frustrated due to slow progress of business owing to low volume of customers. While reporting the above, the Executive Committee sought permission of the Fisheries Department to allow selling of other items like meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. to attract multiple consumers at least at the initial stage of operation. Permission for the same was granted by the Department on 19 May 2020. However, the fish market remains non-operational.
The GoM on September 30, 2020 decided to invite Expression of Interest (EoI) for leasing out the fish market. Accordingly, the DoF, through the Director, Information and Public Relation, GoM, gave wide publicity (September 2021 and December 2021) of the EoI, which evoked no response. Thus, the idea of leasing out the fish market also proved unsuccessful.
To ascertain the actual location and the physical status of the assets, a joint physical verification (JPV) was conducted (12 May 2022) by the audit team and the SoF-RB. During the JPV, an audit observed that the market building was constructed 6.2 km away from Nongpoh market. The facilities/ assets created like the main building comprising 22 stalls, filter tank for liquid waste, deep tube-well, DG set, 22 deep freezers and transformer, were lying idle.
Further, the CAG informed that In July, last year the Director of Fisheries stated that the site was approved because the existing market did not have space to house a modern hygienic market, the land was provided free of cost and the location being only 200 meters from Guwahati-Shillong National Highway seemed technically ideal for logistic purposes. The DoF further added that joint survey and spot inspection between the officials of the Department of Fisheries and NFDB was conducted on 15 October 2015 and added further that feasibility of the project has also been reviewed with the stakeholders (Saiden Village Dorbar) and fish farmers of Ri Bhoi district.
However, the Director failed to furnish any recorded evidence of joint survey/ spot inspection or review meetings with stakeholders. Further, the initial reply of the DoF suggests that no feasibility study was conducted by the Department and the land provided free of cost by the Dorbar Shnong, Saiden was the only criteria for selection of the site for construction of a modern fish market, the report stated.