Rs 8 cr land scam in Ri-Bhoi dist
SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state Assembly has directed several officials of the concerned departments including the officials of Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner’s office to appear before it within a month over the fictitious land acquisition in Ri-bhoi District.
The Forest and Environment department had released Rs 8 crore in favour of former Congress legislator from Umroi SW Rymbai for acquiring a plot of land at Mawpalai afforestation area in Ri Bhoi which was already in the possession of the Soil and Water Conservation department.
This was revealed in the report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for the year ended March 31, 2015. The report was tabled in the State Assembly recently
The PAC Chairman Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said that this is an open and shut case of a day-light robbery.
The officials have been summoned to explain how the compensation was paid to a private individual for acquiring a Government land through dubious procedure.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Monday also summoned the officials of the Forest and Environment department including the Principal Secretary MS Rao over the glaring anomalies in in East Jaintia Hills where forest land was declared as non-forest land.
Lyngdoh said that the forest land measuring more than 600 hectares was declared as a non-forest land for setting up cement companies in 2009.
According to Lyngdoh, the transfer of land was done by Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council.
