Shillong, Aug 3: Tura MDC Bernard Marak has sought an inquiry into alleged misuse of central funds by the NPP-led Executive Committee of the KHADC.
In a letter to Chief Minister, Marak referred to the admission of Executive Member in charge of Finance that funds were partly diverted to pay salaries and for other expenses of GHADC whereas other MDCs denied receiving Rs 161 crore from the Centre.
Full text of the letter below
Shri Conrad K. Sangma
Hon’ble Chief Minister
Government of Meghalaya.
Subject: Request for Immediate Inquiry into Alleged Misuse of Central Developmental Funds (IV Finance) in GHADC.
Sir,
I write to bring to your urgent attention serious anomalies in the funding records of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). In a publicly available interview, the Executive Member in charge of Finance from GHADC admitted that Central Developmental Funds were partly diverted to pay salaries and meet other expenses of the District Council. This statement,
made at the 6:21-minute mark in a video uploaded on YouTube (https://youtu.be/UyXl93Ky_c?si=usOEoDbW20mB1u7N), constitutes prima facie evidence of financial
misappropriation and a violation of the guidelines laid down by the 15th Finance Commission.
Further, other Executive Members, in a separate interview at the 8:51 – minutes mark (https://youtu.be/pIQS5k-MOZU?si=WnbDWp0EV3eXT5cS), denied the receipt of Rs 161 crore as shown in an RTI reply. This contradiction raises a grave concern: either the NPP-led State Government or the NPP led Executive Committee in GHADC is misrepresenting
facts. The denial, recorded at both the 12 – seconds and 8:21 – minutes marks, casts doubt on the authenticity of the RTI response and the actual disbursement of funds. Additionally, the absence of Motor Vehicle tax records for the two years in the RTI further underscores the need
for a thorough financial audit.
In light of these facts, I respectfully urge your immediate intervention and request that the matter be referred to an independent inquiry committee. The committee should examine the claims made by the Executive Members, verify the RTI disclosures, and audit the relevant departments to determine the extent of fund misuse. Should this request not be acted upon, I will be compelled to escalate the matter to appropriate authorities to safeguard the integrity ofGHADC and uphold the constitutional provisions under the Sixth Schedule.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Yours sincerely,
Bernard N Marak,
Member, Garo Hills Autonomous District
