SHILLONG: The state government has incurred an expenditure of a whopping Rs 22, 22, 610 towards rent for premises for the office of the District & Sessions Judge, Khliehriat.
The rent agreement was executed with effect from May 1, 2017, but the office is still not there.
This was revealed in reply to an RTI application filed by an advocate, Kynjaimon Amse with Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills.
It revealed that the rent payable to the building owner for the office of has amounted Rs 21,60,000.
In a statement, Amse said the Secretary, Law Department of Meghalaya had executed the rent agreement with the building owner.
As per the rent agreement, the monthly rent is Rs 80,000 and electricity bill is to be paid separately by the government.
It was revealed that the government has already paid Rs 10,40,000 against the outstanding to the building owner.
Besides, the electricity bill payable till date to MeECL stands at Rs 62,610. Together with the rent, the expenses incurred for the rented premises stands at Rs 22,22,610.
Despite the huge sum of money involved for renting the premises till date it has not been used for any purpose by the government and there is no District & Sessions Judge in Khliehriat.
The judiciary is yet to be separated in East Jaintia Hills District but an amount of Rs 22,22,610 has been spent in the name of the office of District & Sessions Judge, Khliehriat.
“While lawyers are suffering in East Jaintia Hills District because of non-separation of judiciary in the district but on the other hand huge amount of public money is wasted in the name of judiciary but for zero productivity,” he said.
Amse criticised the state government for wasting public money at a time when it has none to pay the salaries of teachers and said that the money could have been used to feed poor families for years.
“It is the duty of the government to ensure that no public money is wasted and hence I call upon the government to look into this matter and take immediate steps to separate judiciary from the executive,” he said.