GHADC fund ‘misuse’: NGEA wants CBI probe

TURA, June 14: The Non-Gazetted Employees’ Association (NGEA) of the GHADC has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a CBI probe into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 100.71 crore besides other funds released to the Council by the Ministry of Finance during 2015-16 and 2017-20.
The NGEA, in its memorandum to the Prime Minister, stated that as per records available in the GHADC, out of Rs 100.71 crore, an amount of sixty nine crore twenty-one lakh forty-four thousand eight hundred and sixteen rupees had been withdrawn in advance and utilized for construction of various projects.
“A total of 1,167 projects were taken up in various parts of Garo Hills during 2015-16. But in reality, most of these projects are still lying incomplete or were abandoned by the contractors while others are completely non-existent,” NGEA president Senora Johny Arengh claimed.
Arengh said that after the utilisation of more than Rs 69 crore for different projects in Garo Hills, the outstanding amount of around Rs 31.49 crore is still unaccounted for.
According to Arengh, an RTI report also revealed that some of the major projects allotted from the central fund under special assistance scheme include the Rs 5,82,51,800 project for video documentary film on the culture, customs, festivals and overall lifestyle of the Garos and project costing Rs 6,01,31,100 for construction of a Members’ Hostel in Tura.
However, he added that while the time frame for the completion of both projects has come and gone, none of the two projects has been completed despite the withdrawal of 60 per cent of the sanctioned amount.
Arengh also claimed that the GHADC has on numerous occasions received financial assistance from the central government and questioned whether the funds released have been utilised for the purpose they are meant for.
These include Rs 28.66 crore in December, 2017, Rs 13.6 crore in June 2019 and Rs 31 crore in March 2019 besides others on different occasions between 2017 and 2020.
Raising questions about the proper utilisation of all such funds from the Centre, Arengh urged the Prime Minister to direct a CBI inquiry into their possible misappropriation and implementation of the 1,167 projects in Garo Hills and, if found guilty, to book all those responsible for the misappropriation under relevant sections of law.