SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will review a series of issues, including the progress in Umroi airport land compensation, at its sitting on Thursday.
PAC had, in May, ordered the State government to conduct an internal inquiry into the anomalies in disbursement of compensation against land acquired for the expansion of the Umroi airport. It had also sought a probe report in this issue. The State has so far paid around Rs 45 crore in compensation.
The panel will also look into the police inquiry report on land acquisition for an afforestation area at Mawpalai in Ri Bhoi, PAC chairman Paul Lyngdoh said on Wednesday.
Former Umroi MLA Stanlywiss Rymbai had received Rs 8 crore for land acquisition for afforestation. This was despite the fact that the land was already in the possession of the Soil and Water Conservation Department. Earlier this year, PAC had directed the state police to speed up investigation into the land scam.
Besides, the Committee will review the construction work of the abattoir in Jowai. PAC, which was not happy with the reply of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department on its failure to realise Rs 1.81 crore, had summoned officials of the Department. The money was released to a Chennai-based consortium and its local partner Rishan Rapsang as mobilisation fund for construction of the Rs 7.65-crore mechanised abattoir.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh said PAC, which was reconstituted after RV Lyngdoh exited the panel to become a cabinet minister and Winnerson Sangma was taken in, would also summon the officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department over the implementation of the Megha Health Insurance Scheme. The policy period for the second phase of the scheme ended on October 31 and the government has been facing flak from the opposition parties for discontinuing the health cover for the poor.
UNDER PAC LENS
1. Umroi Airport: land compensation anomalies
2. Land scam in Ri Bhoi afforestation
3. Mechanised abattoir in Jowai
4. Megha Health Insurance Scheme