Irregularities in Assembly Secretariat
SHILLONG: The State Assembly Speaker AT Mondal has said that he will look into the various irregularities in the Assembly Secretariat unearthed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
Speaking to a group of journalists here, Mondal said the Assembly Secretariat would review the irregularities and accordingly take a call.
The CAG report has pointed fingers at the Assembly Secretariat for purchasing carpets at exorbitant rates resulting in an extra expenditure of Rs 32.24 lakh.
The Assembly Secretariat was also rapped for a wasteful expenditure of Rs 2.14 crore for construction of the Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang.
“We will meet the CAG and I will seek explanation from my officers on those irregularities,” Mondal said.
He said that the irregularities which have been revealed in the CAG report would be placed before the Public Accounts Committee and after scrutinizing, the Committee would again submit the report before the Assembly.
The CAG report stated that the Assembly Secretariat in April 2009 invited tenders for purchase (brand and quality of carpet to be supplied was not specified) of approximately 1715 square metre of carpet for the old Assembly Secretariat office.
Three firms, all offering to supply Unitex (Sonata) brand carpet responded and the rate of Rs 2200 per square ) metre quoted by Shillong-based firm M/S Hanumanbux Umadutt was the lowest.
However, in January 2010, the Assembly Secretariat issued the supply order to a Balat-based firm M/S PB Constructions which had not even participated in the bidding process and the supply order did not mention the floor area and the rate at which the carpet was to be supplied.
In May 2010, the supplier billed the Assembly Secretariat for 1714.69 square metre of Unitex (Sonata) carpet at Rs 2200 per square metre including fitting, fixing and VAT.
As per the CAG report, the Assembly Secretariat again invited tender in June 2011 to purchase carpets for an area of 855.50 square metre (approx) in the new Assembly Secretariat Office building.
Again three firms, all offering to supply Jutex brand carpet of Melody quality responded and this time too, the rate of Rs 1850 per square metre offered by M/S Hanumanbux Umadutt was the lowest.
The CAG report pointed out that the Assembly Secretariat in the same month issued the supply order to one Pelcy Snaitang of Balat, who had also not participated in the bidding process, to supply Jutex carpet at the rate of Rs 1850 per square metre.