DLFA yet to submit report into ADCs ‘scam’

SHILLONG, OCT 19: The Director of Local Fund Audit (DLFA) is yet to submit its report into the alleged financial mismanagement in the two autonomous district councils (ADCs) even after one year has already lapsed.

The state government had on September 30, last year ordered the DLFA to conduct a thorough audit on the expenses made by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) for the past 10 years.

This was after allegations of corruption were made by the BJP, also an MDA coalition partner, in the implementation of the special assistance grants (SAGs) sanctioned by the central government to the two ADCs.

Talking about the status of the audit, District Council Affairs Minister Lahkmen Rymbui however blamed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for the delay in completing the inquiry into the matter.

“As of today due to this pandemic, as you know there is curtailment in the working of the offices, movement of officers from here to there, so it takes time,” he told journalists.

The minister also expressed hope that the DLFA will be able to submit the report very soon and said, “If not the full report but preliminary report so that what action is to be taken beyond that we will see.”

He however claimed that the government in fact had not given any timeline to complete the inquiry.

When asked about the government’s decision to order auditing the expenses of the ADCs for 10 years, as decided earlier, Rymbui said, “In any audit report, in any allegation which they have alleged, we have to see from where it start, how it happen, so you cannot take it only from the surface, they have to dig deep, that’s why the chief minister in his wisdom has felt that it is better to look deep than to look at the surface.”

On the allegation of the opposition that such decision was only government’s delaying tactic since earlier order was only for 5 years, he said that the opposition will say whatever they like.

“(However), it is duty of the government to give its best to the people so I will not be able to say whether I will satisfy the opposition or anybody but we have to satisfy that whatever thing is being done is being done within the parameters within preamble of the law and moreover it will clear the mind of the people so let see when the report comes,” he added.

Regarding the demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged scams in the two ADCs, the DCA minister however urged the citizens to have faith in the existing institutions as inquiry is being conducted into the matter.

“Sometime we as the people we always see the thing according to what we see but working in the government it is not so simple, if everything is being told you do this it is not easy it is not mandatory – that means we have to dismantle all the organizations if we don’t trust the local audit fund, if we don’t trust the CAG, the other organizations so what is they use they have to be disbanded – so let us have faith in these institutions,” he said.

Rymbui further stated that the problem with the present society is that before any proof before any audit or any inquiry being conducted “we prejudge everything”.

“I must say that in any dispute whether you like or you don’t like even in the judgment of high court or supreme court, the people who loss, they will also feel that there is something beyond so this is part of life  but we have to see the larger interest,” he appealed.

By Our Reporter