SHILLONG: Umsning MDC Donkupar Sumer has slammed Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council chief executive member and leader of People’s Democratic Forum coalition, PN Syiem, for allegedly distributing work orders in Sumer’s constituency without his knowledge.
Alleging backdoor issuance of work orders, Sumer, who is the UDP candidate from Umsning constituency for next month’s Assembly elections, alleged that the schemes were distributed to get political mileage for PDF.
Sumer said the work orders, meant for schemes that are of Rs 20 lakh, were distributed through the supporters of PDF.
The 19 work orders were obtained from the development department of the KHADC. He went ahead to call Syiem, a “Mukul Khasi” as the action of Syiem showed that he was no different from chief minister Mukul Sangma who has been criticized by opposition members for misusing government funds.
“The CM also misused livestock mission and likewise People’s Democratic Forum misused the Rs 133 crore central scheme as party fund for PDF,” Sumer alleged. The Rs 133.12crore central scheme is a special assistance scheme sanctioned by the central government to the KHADC.
Irked at Syiem’s alleged move, he shot off a letter to the KHADC chief to cancel the work orders.
Questioning Syiem’s leadership ability, Sumer said, “We are fed up with the style and functioning of PN Syiem. He (Syiem) has to step down as he has misused the office of the CEM.”
He will seek the intervention of the district council affairs department to intervene in the matter.
Sumer pointed out that there were 29 MDCs and each were getting Rs 3 crore, which comes to Rs 87 crore while Rs 30 crore has been approved for council assets. So the total money involved comes to Rs 117 crore. He questioned the disappearance of the remaining amount of Rs 16 crore from the Rs 133 crore scheme. Sumer also expressed surprise that the construction of the rural market at Umsning, amounting to Rs 2, 05, 35, 000 was re-casted by Syiem.
It was decided by the executive committee of the PDF coalition headed by Syiem, on November 8, 2017 to recast alternative schemes duly approved by the district level committee.
According to the proceedings of the meeting, the scheme was recast owing to unavailability of land.
Hima Mylliem chief
Pointing at the administrative crisis in the office of the Hima Mylliem, Sumer expressed surprise that the acting Syiem (Ainam Manik Syiem) was appointed for only two days only to re-instate the present acting Syiem , Ricky Nelson Syiem.
