Pending dues of Rs 10 cr to firm
SHILLONG: The sports and youth affairs department on Wednesday filed a petition before the court of the Assistant to Deputy Commissioner to stay the earlier execution order of the court against the department for the delay in payment of Rs 10 crore to a sports firm in city.
Due to the failure of the sports department to pay the dues, the court even wanted the authorities to freeze the accounts of sports department besides keeping the sports department office under lock and key within December 3.
The department filed the fresh petition saying the Government was contemplating to file a second appeal before the High Court.
It was on November 20 last that the execution order was issued by the lower court following a petition filed by the owner of M/ s Funya Sports, D Marbaniang stating the sports and youth affairs department owes the firm over Rs 10 crore for supplying different sports materials.
The firm has been supplying sports materials which include medals, trophies, football jerseys and others since 1992. A lawyer familiar with the case said on Wednesday that the matter dates back to the year 2003 when a writ petition was filed in the High Court by the firm and claimed Rs 2. 19 crore for the bill submitted.
The department while admitting the claim of Rs 1.15 crore, paid Rs 47 lakh.
Later, the High court ordered the government to pay Rs 65. 44 lakh and said that for the realization of pending amount, the matter should be heard in the lower court. Then in the year 2009, after a civil suit was filed by the firm at the court of Assistant to Deputy Commissioner, the government reportedly did not even file the reply.
In 2011, the court gave its verdict asking the department to pay Rs 8. 44 crore with 12 percent interest
The government’s submission was that it was charged with double billing, and hence the sports department filed an appeal in 2014, but it was rejected.
Later, the firm filed an execution case for attachment of property of the sports department.