GHADC financial irregularities of 2009
SHILLONG: A judicial inquiry report into the alleged financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds which took place soon after the formation of the last Executive Committee of GHADC in 2009 is yet to see the light of the day even at a time when the people of Garo Hills are set to choose new members for GHADC on Monday.
It was almost three years ago ( December 29, 2012) that that the one-man Judicial Inquiry Commission headed by Justice (retd) PG Agarwal had submitted the report to the Government after probing the alleged financial irregularities and illegal appointments in the GHADC.
The expenditure incurred for the probe was over Rs 22 lakh (Rs 22,41,206)
The alleged irregularities took place under former NCP leader and the then GHADC chief Purno K Sangma, when NCP was in power in GHADC in 2009-10.
However, Sangma later joined Congress and even unsuccessfully contested on a Congress ticket from Dadenggre constituency in 2013 Assembly polls and now he is contesting from Jengal district council seat.
Though the District Council Affairs Minister HDR Lyngdoh had assured in the Budget session of the Assembly in March this year that the report will be tabled during the session after the examination of the Cabinet, the report was neither tabled during the March session nor during the just-concluded autumn session of the Assembly.
Lyngdoh had said that the report was placed before the Cabinet on Nov 18, 2014, and the Cabinet had directed the DCA Department to consult the Law and Finance departments on measures to be suggested to the District Councils to bring about financial reforms, financial discipline, and budget management, and to place the same again before the Cabinet.
An official with the District Council Affairs department said on Saturday that the inquiry report is still being examined by the Finance department.
The scam in GHADC came to the fore after the then Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills Sanjay Goyal carried out an audit and found out financial irregularities including illegal appointments in the Council in 2009-10.
Later on October 19, 2010 the State Government notified the Inquiry Commission headed by Agarwal.
The terms of reference included the need 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.
Other terms of reference included examination of 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 Government had also asked the Commission to find out the ways and means of revamping the GHADC administration.
The time frame to complete the probe report was three months, but the Commission completed the report only after two years.
Since the NCP-led Executive Committee was in power in GHADC, the Congress-led MUA Government instituted the Judicial Inquiry Commission to expose the wrong doings of the NCP.
There were also toppling games in GHADC after many MDCs had switched their allegiance to the Congress. Since April 2010, the Government had imposed the administrator’s rule for six months each on two occasions in the GHADC following tussle for power amid claims and counter claims, besides court cases.
The attempt to form the Commission was also to prevent any move by the NCP to form the Executive Committee in the GHADC.