From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Two prominent politicians including one from the ruling Congress has figured in a chargesheet filed by the CBI before a special court here in connection with financial scandals that occurred in Assam’s Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC), erstwhile North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC).
One of them being the present Chairman of the DHAC and member of the ruling Congress party, Depolal Hojai. He has been named in a Rs 1.47 crore scam related to a scheme of Public Works Department. The scam occurred when he was the CEM of the council.
Another former CEM of the Council, Mohet Hojai has been named in a Rs 1.98-crore scandal in the public health engineering (PHE) department during his tenure. Hojai is already lodged in Guwahati Central Jail as he was arrested in May, 2009 in another case related to diversion of development fund meant for the council to an insurgent group called Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) or the DHD (J) which is now in truce with government of India. The NIA had already charge-sheeted Mohet Hojai in November 2009 in the case of diversion of funds to the militant group.
Both Depolal and Mohet were from Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), a regional party. The scams under CBI investigation had occurred when ASDC was in power in the autonomous council. Depolal later joined Congress and is currently the chairman of the council.
The Assam government has so far referred nine cases of alleged corruption in the erstwhile North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (Now Dima Hasao Autonomous Council) to the CBI . Five of these were referred in 2010 and four in 2011.
Of the three cases for which the charge-sheets were filed included a Rs 1.74 crore scam in the public works department, one Rs 1.98 crore scam to the public health engineering department, and one Rs 18.75 lakh scam in agriculture department.