Not opening shops in villages: CM defends contracts to BAC

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 27: Amid growing criticism and allegations of favouritism, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday strongly defended the state government’s decision to award massive infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,900 crore to Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt. Ltd.

Sangma stated that the government is bound to follow all established procedures, rules, and statutory requirements while allotting large-scale projects, irrespective of the company involved.

“These are not small shops or small businesses that you are trying to open in villages. These are large investments requiring thousands of crores. These cannot be done just because somebody wants it to be done,” the Chief Minister said.

He emphasised that such mega projects can only be executed through proper procedures, which the government is committed to following strictly. “If there is any favouritism, it will eventually come out in the open,” he added.

The Chief Minister’s remarks come in the wake of widespread criticism over the allocation of multiple high-value projects to BAC Infratech across various parts of the state, particularly under the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department.

The company has bagged projects amounting to thousands of crores, with several tenders allegedly floated through offline processes. The issue gained further attention after the project cost of Phase 1 of the New Shillong Township jumped significantly from Rs 538 crore to Rs 772 crore. BAC Infratech is also executing the Tura Water Supply Scheme at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 400 crore, among other significant projects.