SHILLONG, Feb 9: Not development, not even MLA’s report card, the multi-cornered battle for the North Shillong seat seems to be hotting up over the government’s Covid expenses.
Sitting MLA Adelbert Nongrum on Thursday filed an FIR at Sadar police station over alleged discrepancies in the official figures furnished in the Assembly.
The FIR, which mentions nobody specifically, appears to be targeting ex-DHS Dr Aman Warr who was handling the Covid pandemic prior to voluntary retirement and enter the fray.
Reacting strongly to the allegations levelled by TMC women’s wing general secretary, Noor Warjri on the alleged misappropriation of Covid-19 expenditure, Warr said he was ready for a debate with her.
While slamming Warjri for trying to politicise the issue, he said that she is trying to tarnish the image of people who helped others during the pandemic.
“I am ready if she wants a debate at any point of time, anywhere and any place,” Warr said, dismissing Warjri’s claim that he was trying to project a clean image among the electorate of the constituency by claiming to be clueless about the Covid-19 expenditure of more than Rs 800 crore.
“Her accusation that I was pretending about the bills is not true. The allegation was pretending to be clueless about the Covid expenditures is as false as the pseudo-cards of the TMC,” Warr said.
While taking a dig at the TMC women’s wing leader, Warr said that she is a ‘party-hopper’, who had shifted from one party to another party.
He also went vitriolic equating Noor with “jhum cultivation” as she left behind a trail of destruction.
“I would advise her to look at her own backyard before making allegations against anyone,” he said.
Warr said the DHS (MI) had spent only Rs 248 crore as Covid expenditure till the time he retired from government service.
Stating that the rest of the Covid expenditure does not go through the DHS (MI), Dr Warr said, “That is why I said I don’t know about how they have spent the rest of money which amounted to Rs 800 plus crore.”
Earlier on the day, VPP candidate from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum filed an FIR and urged the police to launch an investigation against unknown persons into a case related to the misappropriation of public money meant for Covid-19 activities, which is a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In the FIR filed at Sadar police station, Nongrum said that the differences in the amount declared on spending from central government funds on Covid-19 activities in Meghalaya may be a case of theft or misappropriation of public money, which are offences under IPC.
“I have filed this FIR for prompt investigation against unknown persons, who are involved in theft or misappropriation of public money released by the Centre to the state government for Covid activities as per the due course of law,” VPP candidate from North Shillong said.
Nongrum mentioned the RTI findings of activist Disparsing Rani which exposed Rs 43 crore sanctioned by the Centre went missing.
According to Rani, the Union Health Ministry had released Rs 15.61 crore under phase I and Rs 104.12 crore under phase II for Meghalaya, totalling over Rs 119 crore, whereas Health Minister James PK Sangma had claimed in the Assembly that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 76 crore.
James also claimed that the Meghalaya government spent Rs 816 crore out of which the Centre had sanctioned Rs 76 crore whereas the state spent over Rs 739 crore.
“Therefore, as a responsible citizen, it is in my principle to question how the money spent from the central grant in Meghalaya can be officially declared in the Assembly as an amount different from what was declared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Adelbert said.
