SHILLONG, July 5: A city lawyer on Tuesday demanded an independent inquiry into the misappropriation of public money and violations of consumer’s rights by the Department of Printing and Stationery.
The lawyer and social activist, Egenstar Kurkalang submitted a letter to the Chief Minister’s Office enclosed with RTI findings.
Citing the documents obtained via RTI, Kurkalang said the Comptroller and Auditor General had detected the misappropriation of Rs 2.09 crore (Rs 209.47 lakh) in the department during 2010-2020. The money pertained to the printing works entrusted by the National Health Mission and the state’s Directorate of Health Services but outsourced to unqualified firms or traders or individuals without tender, approved rate, formality code and rate quotation among others.
The documents enclosed pointed to an unauthorised expenditure of Rs 87.58 lakh due to procurement of materials from a disqualified supplier, outstanding printing charges of Rs 37.26 lakh from a department corporation, avoidable expenditure of Rs 2.04 lakh due to irregularity in the procurement of single colour sheet-feed offset machine, irregularities in printing works awarded to a private firm, double payment of electricity bills amounting to Rs 2.82 lakh, idle stock worth Rs 47.48 lakh, non-adjustment of medical advances amounting to Rs 23.04 lakh besides irregularities in depositing government receipts.
Stating that the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 empower the consumers and the citizens to know about their rights that ensures the quality, quantity and price of the items or goods they purchase, Kurkalang said: “Unfortunately for food grains and food items including livestock feed commonly used by farmers, the traders are no more measuring the items but charging and delivering at a lump sum price per 50 kg per of rice and other items.”
Traders used to charge according to actual weight prior to 2010, he said. “This is a clear violation of the rights of the consumers by the government (Supply department) and the traders involved, leading to corruption. The government must investigate the matter and action against those involved,” the lawyer-activist said, adding such irregularities rob the government of revenue.
Kurkalang had contested the 2018 Assembly polls from the state BJP but had later resigned. He said he is not associated with any political party currently.
