SHILLONG: Opposition leader, Mukul Sangma has approached Governor Satya Pal Malik to take cognisance of the serious allegations of corruption being made in JHADC and GHADC while emphasising the need for an independent probe and imposing Administrators Rule in GHADC where elections are due.
In a letter to the governor, he said “I have also reason to believe that the allegations have enough substance and express my apprehension, based on the inputs received, that a concerted effort is being put for “destruction of the evidence” of the alleged corruption by the people in authority which must be prevented immediately in the interest of the people of the state.”
After calling on the governor, he alleged that there were similar allegations of corruption in GHADC, even the employees had not received their salary for the last two years.
“If you read between the lines, these allegations indicate that there is an alleged corruption which involves people who are in power or people who are close to the people in authority,” Sangma said.
“There is complete financial mismanagement,” he said while adding that BJP too has a member in the EC of GHADC and the matter is something which should not be taken lightly.
Talking about the inquiry, Sangma said that whenever there are allegations of this nature, there must be an inquiry which should be an independent inquiry only or by an independent body.
He warned that the inquiry into the matter cannot be a mere eyewash, Sangma said that the results of the inquiry would have to be result-oriented to deter people from such misadventure.
He also cautioned that the delay in action and a probe would only allow perpetrators to go scot-free besides emboldening people to indulge in more corruption.
“Our state should not be infamous to be a corrupt state,” he said
The allegations of massive corruption in JHADC and GHADC were made by BJP, a partner in the MDA Government against the NPP led Executive Committee’s in JHADC and GHADC and the saffron party has been hell-bent on inquiring the matter through CBI.
In the letter, the Opposition leader said that the said fund were released to the ADCs were based on the continuous and productive engagement with the concerned ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, for providing special allocation of fund to the ADCs for development and welfare of the people in backward tribal areas in view of the fact that the 14th Finance Commission Recommendation did not cover ADCs for receiving of grant/award under the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commissions unlike for the Panchayati Raj institutions.
According to him, the financial mismanagement and alleged corruption in GHADC had also brought untold sufferings to the employees of the council due to nonpayment of salaries for last two years crippling the functioning of the ADC thus defeating the very purpose of its existence.