North East Career Institute: Misappropriation of funds
SHILLONG: After the recent CBI charge-sheet filed against the former Registrar of Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) and four others for the alleged misappropriation of funds released by NEC for setting up of an institute for civil service training, the RTI activists, who had unearthed the scam, have revealed more irregularities in the sanction of the project by NEC.
Rev. K. Pyrtuh told reporters that there should be a wider probe and also there is a need for filing additional charge sheets as the role of NEC also needs to be scrutinized in the whole matter.
Besides the ex-registrar of MLCU Rev Edwin Harris Kharkongor, contractor Orianda Kharkongor, Engineer Glostick Lyngdoh and Architect/project consultant Delmonica Rowena Shullai have been chargesheeted for the alleged misappropriation of over Rs 1 crore out of the total project of Rs 3. 93 crore for the construction of North East Career Institute.
While the findings of CBI are that the first installment of Rs 1.11 crore for the project was released under Infrastructure Development of Educational Institute in the name of Rev. Edwin Hariss Kharkongor and out of this, Rs 1 crore was kept in fixed deposits ( Rs 25 lakh each in four accounts) thereby getting interest of Rs 12 lakh from the fixed deposits, the RTI findings reveal that on April 8, 2011, Rs. 1.11,40,000 was transferred into the account no 11900200010716 of the Vice Chancellor, MLCU in Federal bank Limited Shillong and within a week ( April 16,2011) Rs 1 crore was transferred into four fixed deposits .
Giving the chronology of the events, Pyrtuh said that it was on December 1, 2009 that MLCU wrote to the Chief Secretary with a proposal for a North East Career Institute, a coaching institute seeking recommendation from Meghalaya Government and also for Rs 15 lakh contribution from the State Government. Interestingly on December 9, 2009, MLCU without getting the recommendation of Meghalaya Government submitted an advance copy of the proposal to the Secretary, NEC.
Pyrtuh pointed out that in an irony of sorts, on January 19, 2010, NEC’s file noting as procured through RTI states that the proposal has to be routed through State Government, but at the same time it was revealed that MLCU has already got a sanction of Rs 10 lakh whereas at that point of time, the State Government has only agreed to provide sanction.
Later on February 4, 2010, the State Government has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for coaching IAS aspirants, but this has apparently no connection with the setting up of North East Career Institute.
Further on February 22,2010, NEC wrote to MLCU about the location of the Career Institute and availability of land with an emphasis that the project needs to be routed through the state government, and subsequently on March 17, 2010 the State Government wrote to NEC recommending the project and its budget.
And again on March 22, MLCU submitted an advanced copy of the proposal to NEC with additional information about the location for NEC though actually the proposal should have come from the State Government.
According to Pyrtuh, the proposal of MLCU had mentioned that the Career Institute would be set up in the location where MLCU had first set up its temporary campus, a rented building from Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Assembly. They had also plan to demolish an Old Assam Type Heritage Building which houses New Hope Centre. However, no consent of KJPA was taken.
After an inspection of the site, NEC found the site as congested and further suggested that MLCU should move to its own site which was originally proposed.
However, as per the vetted detailed project report submitted on February 17,2011, the location of Career Institute was changed from Central Ward Shillong (near temporary campus of MLCU), to Umsawli,Mawdiangdiang which MLCU claimed to have bought on March 17,2009.
Based on documents, Pyrtuh said that till March 12, 2012 there was only an application for registration of land and there was no transfer document or actual registration of land at Umsawli .
Commenting on various deficiencies in the DPR , Pyrtuh said that NEC finally approved the project with a possibility that the VC of MLCU can get the construction done by a hired Keralite contractor.