GHADC scam
SHILLONG: The judicial inquiry report into the financial irregularities in GHADC in 2009 is yet to see the light of the day as the State government chose not to table the report in the Assembly during last month’s Budget session.
The inquiry set up at the cost of over Rs 23 lakh was carried out by a one-man judicial inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd.) P.G. Agarwal, who had examined the irregularities and misappropriation of funds and illegal appointments in the GHADC.
The report was submitted to the State government on December 29, 2012, more than three years ago.
Curiously, an official with the District Council Affairs department on Monday said the report was still being examined by the Finance department.
While there is a mandatory clause in the Commission of Inquiry Act for placing other judicial inquiry reports in the Assembly within six months after the competition of the reports, an official with the Political department said that as far as the inquiry related to District Council is concerned, there is no time frame fixed.
Though District Council Affairs Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh during the 2015 March Assembly session had stated that the report would be tabled in that session, it turned out to be mere lip service.
During the last year’s session, Lyngdoh had said that the report was placed before the Cabinet on November 18, 2014, and further added that the Cabinet had directed the District Council Affairs 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.
The alleged financial irregularities took place in GHADC in 2009-10 during the tenure of then GHADC CEM P.K. Sangma, who was with the NCP.
Sangma later joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested both the 2013 Assembly polls and the 2015 GHADC polls.
The GHADC scam came to the fore after the then Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills Sanjay Goyal conducted an audit report and found out financial irregularities including illegal appointments in the Council in 2009-10.
Subsequently, the Congress led government notified the commission headed by Agarwal on October 19, 2010 aimed at exposing the misdeeds of the NCP led Executive Committee.
Sources alleged that now the Congress led government is in a dilemma as the findings will go against the Congress since those involved are members of the party.
The formation of the inquiry commission was also following the toppling games in the GHADC after many NCP 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 both by Congress and NCP, besides filing of court cases.
There were allegations from the NCP that the government formed the commission to prevent the party to form the Executive Committee in the GHADC in 2010.
The terms of reference for the commission were 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.
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 were also part of the terms of reference.
The commission was entrusted to find out ways and means of revamping the GHADC administration. While the time frame to complete the probe report was three months, the commission completed the report only after two years.