SHILLONG: The Civil Society Women’s Organisation has filed an FIR alleging large-scale misappropriation of funds by the Voluntary Health Association of Meghalaya (VHAM).
In the FIR, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing while quoting an RTI report said VHAM has its bank account in Corporation Bank, Kesamon Building, Laitumkhrah, and payments have been made to Kordor Chyrmang and Lucky Bareh, for procurement of syringes by VHAM from April 26, 2010, to September 12, 2011, and from January 10, 2012, to May 15 this year.
The complaint pointed out that Rs 39, 91,655 was paid to Chyrmang and Bareh but according to the report, details of only Chyrmang were mentioned.
“Chyrmang does not own any pharmacy but is using fake cash memos which, according to the report of the fact-finding team, belong to one N Khonglah,” Kharshiing said.
As per the FIR, the bank statement shows an amount of Rs 30,92,985 was paid to Chyrmang and an amount of Rs 8,98,770 was paid to Bareh, who also supplied fake bills.
Kharshiing in the FIR said the report mentioned that the VHAM project manager in Jowai submitted the licences of Ram Passah, who is the proprietor of two pharmacies, to support the claims of purchased needles and syringes but all payments were made to Chyrmang.
The report said though there was no M/s K Chyrmang, 12 Dolloi Pharmacy on KNB Road in Jowai there was another 12 Dolloi Pharmacy at the same place but the owner is N Khonglah.
The report also states there was no mention of expiry date, name of supplier of needles and syringes in the register and proper certification of bills was not done. This indicates a wider involvement of others, as monthly visits is conducted by ADTI of Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) yet the anomalies were not detected and there was inflation of active NS population and distribution of expired syringes,” Kharshiing said.
According to the CSWO chief, in the final report of August 30 and September 1, filed by the visiting team to Jowai, Wilson Dohling, (ADTI) MACS, Wallamtihun Hujon, accountant at MACS, and Glen Pyrtuh, stores officer at MACS, which was also obtained through RTI from MACS, there was ‘manipulation’, ‘inflation of clients’, ‘forgery’, ‘malpractices’ whereby public stock had to be destroyed, “which directly indicates cheating of public fund and loss of public property”.
She said there was also indication that expired syringes have to be distributed to injecting drug users in Jowai and Ladrymbai putting their lives at risk.
Kharshiing, however, added that the report of the visiting team dated August 30 and September 1 has failed to mention the fake bills of Bareh but has clearly recommended suspension of Rini W Pakma, project manager, and Dakapaia Bareh, counsellor.
