SHILLONG, Aug 29: The Directorate of Local Fund Audit (DLFA) is expected to submit its report on the alleged misappropriation of funds in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) by the year-end.
Official sources told The Shillong Times on Sunday that around 60% of auditing has been completed in GHADC. As for JHADC, the auditing of accounts has been already completed and now, the report will be compiled.
The auditing of accounts in GHADC, which started on November 10 last year and was followed by a break in December on account of holidays, could not be carried out during January and February due to agitation by the employees of the Council. Similarly, the auditing in JHADC was affected by the COVID-induced lockdown.
“The auditing in GHADC has resumed. We are targeting to complete the exercise at the earliest,” the sources said, adding, “We will have to start compiling the audit report for JHADC.”
The audit of accounts of both Councils is for a period of 10 years. The auditing for GHADC is headed by the Assistant Director of Tura while the auditing for JHADC is headed by the Assistant Director of Shillong.
According to officials, the audit teams comprise senior audit officers.
Asked about cooperation, the sources said both Councils are furnishing whatever information is being sought.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to submit the report to the government within this year. The report will first go to the Finance department and then, to the District Council Affairs department,” the official sources added.
The auditors have been mandated to scrutinise the accounts of the past decade and not just Rs 264 crore which the Centre had sanctioned for infrastructure development.
The government had ordered the auditing following pressure from the BJP which alleged misuse of central special grants in both Councils. The auditing will also cover the period of previous Congress regime.
In September last year, the DLFA was tasked to conduct the exercise but it had to wait for the concurrence of Finance department.
Earlier, Governor Satya Pal Malik had received multiple representations with allegations of diversion and misuse of funds in the two Councils. Subsequently, he had sought a response from the government.
