SHILLONG, July 6: BJP leader and Cabinet Minister, AL Hek has reacted to the reported scam in Power department saying that it was high time all MDA constituents sit across the table and discuss the issue even as he added that there cannot be any smoke without fire.
To a query from this reporter about the confidential interim audit report on the alleged bungling of over Rs 149 crore while implementing Centre’s flagship programme “Saubhagya”, Hek said that all the political parties have zero tolerance towards corruption.
“Anything which goes against the interest of the state, should be inquired,” Hek said while adding that blame game cannot continue on the allegations of corruption but there is a need for the concerned stakeholders to sit across the table and sort the issue out.
He also underlined the need to find out the facts about the preliminary CAG report.
When asked about the clamour for removing James Sangma from the Power Department, Hek said that if all the partners of the MDA are not happy with any individual minister, they should come out openly and share their views in the MDA meeting. “Even if the entire alliance is not happy with me, they should come and speak up in the meeting if they want any minister to be removed,” Hek added.
“We have been reading in the newspapers and we don’t know the facts but there is no smoke without fire,” Hek remarked.
When queried about the CAG preliminary report, UDP President, Metbah Lyngdoh said that the Chief Minister has assured and instituted an independent inquiry into all the reported wrongdoings in the MeECL.
“Let them go ahead with the inquiry,” Lyngdoh said while adding that there have been so many reports in the media about Saubhagya and other issues.
He said that the issues are being addressed by the Chief Minister who will come out with a detailed report which will satisfy everybody.
He also left it to the wisdom of the Chief Minister to take a call as far as the growing demand to remove James Sangma from the Power department is concerned.
Audit report interim, not final: AG’s Office
Reacting to the ST news report, “CAG detects Rs 149-crore scam in Saubhagya scheme”, the office of the Accountant General (Audit), Meghalaya clarified on Tuesday that “the audit of DDLU/Saubhagya is still under process and the audit report has not been finalised yet”.
“As such, making reference to the CAG’s report in the said news item is not factually correct,” Deputy Account General (Administration) stated in a brief clarification.
Interestingly, the rejoinder has neither contradicted nor confirmed the salient contents of the news report in question. It further said that the ST report was based on “interim” audit report which was yet to be ratified by the CAG.
According to the statement, only those reports which have been duly approved by the CAG after following the due process of verification and approvals can be termed as the CAG’s Report.
“After receiving the approval of the CAG, these reports are duly signed by the competent authority and placed before the State Legislature and only then these become public documents. Any other documents which the media may have received from different sources are at best ‘interim documents’ which are confidential in nature as these are still under examination. Referring to these documents as CAG Report is misleading and not based on facts,” he said.
Report baseless: NPP
The NPP on Tuesday termed the news report on the 149-cr scam in Saubhagya Scheme as “fake”.
Claiming to have made background checks on such serious allegations, NPP spokesperson, Marcuise N. Marak has stated that the CAG has clarified that they have not released any such report.
“They (CAG) also stated that the newspaper had used their name to push out a fake report, without talking to any official or verifying the information from the concerned CAG officers,” Marak stated.
The NPP spokesperson described the report as “unverified, speculative and fake to say the least, where there were no facts and figures”.
The NPP rejoinder observed that the integrity of the office of the CAG has been compromised by, “irresponsible journalism which is based on a report which does not even exist”. The party demanded clarification from the newspaper.
He claimed that the entire report is filled with “obscure, opinionated and fake facts,” and went on to say, “It seems there is “external influence” behind such a report.
Significantly, the NPP statement did not seek retraction or apology and neither did it threaten to take legal action in retaliation.
