Financial irregularities in GHADC
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The one-man Judicial Inquiry Commission headed by Justice PG Agarwal (retd), which probed financial irregularities and illegal appointments in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) when NCP was in power in 2009-10, has submitted its report to the State government.
Informing this here on Saturday, a senior government official said that the report was submitted to the secretary, district council affairs, F. Kharlyngdoh and he would in turn forward the same to the Chief Secretary WMS Pariat once the office reopens.
He, however, refused to divulge the content of the report by saying “it is confidential.”
The Commission had several sittings mostly in Tura before concluding the hearing.
Earlier, the Commission had sent an interim report to the State Government.
Initially, the State Government brought out an internal audit report prepared by the then Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills Sanjay Goyal on this alleged financial irregularities in the GHADC.
The then secretary of the Executive Committee of GHADC, Hewingson A. Sangma had also lodged a complaint with the Tura Police saying that during the audit carried out from September 1 to 10,2010 huge financial irregularities were detected in the form of forged figures in the deposit receipt of the Forest Department.
Based on the findings of the interim report of the DC, the State Cabinet had constituted the judicial commission under Justice (retd) PG Agarwal to probe the matter. It was on October 19, 2010 that the State Government notified the Inquiry Commission headed by Agarwal to probe the facts and circumstances leading to the financial instability in GHADC and also to examine financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds committed by GHADC.
However, the NCP had earlier termed the move as politically motivated.
During the tussle for power in GHADC by the members of both Congress and NCP in 2010 after the NCP led Executive Committee formed in 2009 was toppled, the Government stalled any move on the part of NCP to form the next Executive Committee citing financial irregularities during the tenure of NCP MDCs. The Chief Executive Member of GHADC then was PK Sangma.
Since April 2010, two times, the Government had imposed the administrator’s rule for six months each in GHADC following the tussle for power amid claims and counter claims besides court cases.
Though the NCP had won the confidence motion in GHADC on November 24,2010, the ruling of the Guwahati High Court, after a petition was filed by the Congress, has made the floor test null and void.
Later in February,2011, the Cabinet lifted the administrator’s rule in GHADC and paved way for the formation of the next Executive Committee (EC) led by the Congress.
Seven MDCs of GHADC led by PK Sangma defected from NCP and joined the Congress which ultimately resulted in the formation of a Congress led EC and Sangma became the CEM.
The Inquiry Commission was also assigned to examine the administration of laws, rules and regulation made by GHADC with special reference to the alleged cancellation of appointment in respect of Laskars and village court staff without reasons and illegal appointment made in various departments of the GHADC.
The Commission was also asked to suggest ways and means of revamping administration of GHADC. Though the initial period to complete the probe was three months, the inquiry was completed only after two years.