The detection of several cases of defalcation of government funds in close succession during the past few weeks is as much revealing as the trend of such corrupt practices is disquieting. What is somewhat strange is that such large-scale misappropriation of public funds did not attract notice of higher authorities concerned until, in the case for instance of the gravest of them all, the clue to it, was available in reports in a section of the local Press. The government steps taken since to bring these cases under proper scrutiny and the culprits to book has been expeditious but this is not to say in extenuation of its earlier lapses in not exercising tight control over government expenditure and its routine handling by subordinate officers.
The defalcation in one of the aforesaid cases is reported to have been spread over several years and this constitutes a sad reflection on government procedures and practices which encouraged and enabled such glaring abuse of authority on the part of the guilty concerned for years together. We await, as must everyone in government and outside, the fuller account of these corrupt cases from the reports of the investigating agencies set up by the government. We are hoping that the relevant reports would suggest appropriate remedial measures as well, which would plug all such loop holes as made these defalcations possible. But overriding all such precautionary measures must be felt the need for toning up the moral standard of the government in particular. Above all is the need of vigilance and cooperation of the public at large so that the good name of Meghalaya in this respect may not further be sullied in the manner some black-sheep may have done or been doing.