By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 19: The Meghalaya Lokayukta has directed the Commissioner and Secretary of the District Council Affairs (DCA) to conduct a departmental inquiry into the allegations of misappropriation and misuse of public funds amounting to more than Rs 60 crore in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
In his order on Thursday, Lokayukta Chairperson PK Musahary said that the truth should be found out and action taken against the wrongdoer in accordance with the law.
The Lokayukta’s directive followed a petition from the GHADC Non-Gazetted Employees’ Association for an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation and misuse of public funds amounting to Rs 60,63,68,485.
The anti-graft panel said that allegations of misappropriation and misuse of public funds should be taken very seriously and the culprits cannot be left unprosecuted. But it said the Lokayukta cannot exercise its powers unless a prime facie case of corruption is found.
In the absence of a prima facie case of misappropriation within the meaning of the Lokayukta Act, it will not be proper to proceed further, the Lokayukta said. It pointed out that the department concerned can initiate criminal proceedings if a probe reveals misuse or misappropriation of staff salary.
The panel has asked the Commissioner and Secretary of the DCA to inform within three weeks about the initiation of inquiry and criminal proceedings in the matter.
The Lokayukta also perused the association’s petition accusing Dipual R. Marak and another person of misusing the fund allotted by the government for payment of salary to the staff. They also alleged misappropriation of the royalty collected.
The Lokayukta perused the inquiry report submitted by the state police, which said no prima facie case of corruption was found.
According to the report, the last salary disbursed to the GHADC staff was on March 21, 2020, and an amount of Rs 3,98,16,200 disbursed was the salary for April 2018.
The Lokayukta’s order said some irregularities and anomalies have been pointed out in the inquiry report. But “a case of corruption cannot be imported” due to gaps in the report, it added.