As expected the PHE racket has become the piece de resistance of the resumed budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly.
Right from the word “go” the Opposition has taken up the cudgel to corner the ruling side on the massive racketeering in the department. Adjournment motion, resolution, besides a host of questions on the affairs of the Department have kept the ruling side on their toes during the first five days of the session.
The adjournment motion was disallowed by the Speaker, Mr E K Mawlong, but he conceded the gravity of the mater. In his ruling the Speaker observed that the there was no doubt that issue full filled most of the requisite conditions for the admissibility of the motion. The financial irregularities were “unprecedented in the history of our State.” He said “as members of the House we owe explanation to our people”. But having upheld the gravity of the matter, Mr Mawlong ruled that the Members could raise the issue through various other means during the remaining 20 days of the session.
Earlier, on the opening day Mr P R Kyndiah while moving the adjournment motion observed that the Department’s financial management had gone “berserk”. He said “it was unprecedented in the whole country in any legislature.”
Mr Winston Syiemiong said that the amount involved was over 9% of the State’s budget. He said the Kuo Oil deal which involved only Rs. 30 crore had rocked the country. He said the amount already spent was not reflected in the budget estimates for the year. He wondered now the Govt was going to adjust the excess expenditure.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Grosswell Mylliemngap stated “it is not a fact that the government is delaying the matter”. Since the matter came up in the House in February – March this year, the Govt “took immediate action.” He pointed out that there were the financial committees of the Assembly which could act as watchdogs. Besides, the CA&AG would also go into all the details of the matter, he pointed out.
The PHE Minister, Mr Salseng C Marak observed that the matter had figured in the House in December last year when Mr B Wanniang had raised a question. In the February-March session, some supplementary questions were asked. Since then the Govt had acted with a sense of “urgency”. Some arrests had been made and the police was registered cases against them.