No audit of defence credit society for 3 yrs

SHILLONG: Members of a defence credit society have exposed delay in carrying out the audit of the Meghalaya Defence Civilian Workers Cooperative Credit Society Ltd Shillong by authorities concerned.
The members of Credit Society, unit GE (I) AF Shillong, said there is an urgent need to carry out audit as crores of rupees are handled by the Society.
A member of the Society also sought reply on the matter through an RTI query and the response of the public information officer, who is the assistant registrar of cooperative societies, is that the audit report of the Meghalaya Defence Civilian Workers Cooperative Credit Society Ltd Shillong from 2013 to 2016 could not be furnished as sought due to the non-updating of the cash book.
“At present, the auditor concerned is taking up the audit of the cooperative society for 2012-13,” the RTI reply said, adding that as per the information given by the auditor, the staff associated with the society could not update the cash book due to shortage of employees in the society.
In reply to a second appeal as per the RTI, the public information officer said the delay in clearing the audit will create doubts in the minds of people, but the credit society is an autonomous body as per the Meghalaya Cooperative Act and rules.
The official admitted that the matter related to pending audit should have been reviewed by the elected management as per the law.
The official also observed that the auditor has no authority to comment on the inefficiency of the staff and instead, the auditor should have reported the matter to the immediate authority with an intimation to the elected management of the Credit Society.
Following this, in a letter addressed to the general secretary of Meghalaya MES Civilian Workers Union, the members of the Meghalaya Defence Civilian Workers Co operative Credit Society said they are in the dark about the existing fund available with the Society.
They wanted to know why audit was not carried out since 2013 and alleged negligence on the part of the chairperson, secretary and treasurer.
The members demanded that the audit should be completed before the next general council meeting failing which they will resort to legal action.
They also said that the Meghalaya Defence Civilian Workers Co-operative Credit Society is different from Meghalaya MES Civilian Workers Union.