Kokrajhar
The United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL), today carried out a 3 hrs sit-in-protest at Children’s Park near Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner office demanding high level inquiry over the financial mismanagement and corruption in Bodoland Territorial Counci (BTC) on the basis of CAG report 2008-09, holding of VCDC election simultaneously with Panchayat election in Assam and selection of all Member of Council Legislative Assembly(MCLAS) etc. It also demanded the government of India to take needful initiative to expedite the process of peace talk on the Bodo problem for a lasting solution.
Over a hundred party members carried out the dharna from 10 am to 1 pm shouting slogans. A memorandum as submitted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kokajhar.
The UPPL leaders seek intervention of the Prime minister into the matter and initiate a comprehensive process of inquiry over all anomalies as illustrated by CAG in its report and inflict exemplary punishment to all those found responsible in the anomilies according to law.
“The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has done audit over all departments of the BTC and unearth multi-crore rupees anomalies counting to the tune of minimum Rs 1.80 crores, only under the chief Discretionary(CD) fund, said former Rajya Sabha MP and senior party leader Urkhao Gwra Brahma. Brahma said as per the power and function bestowed to CAG by the Constitution an” inclusive audit has been carried out and submitted to the government. It is now the duty of the govt to act against all irregularities, anomalies and corruption and give justice to the public”.
The UPPL leader said the CAG report has exposed many aspects of financial mismanagement and corruption in BTC like irregularities in audit system, diversion of funds in several departments, excess expenditures in several works and procurement of goods, undue financial aid to contractors in implementation of schemes, fraudulent payments and doubtful procurements of various materials etc.
It is to be mention that an audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) incurred excess expenditure of Rs 1.47 crore in procurement of biscuits as a morning snack for children of Anganwadi centres in 2013.
The scrutiny of records by the CAG during the audit revealed that the BTC authority violated procurement norms that resulted in excess expenditure of government money.
According to the CAG report of 2016, the joint secretary of BTC’s social welfare department released Rs 3.45 crore for procurement of 4,31,71,300 pieces of Britannia Marie Gold biscuits at 80 paisa per piece from 37 NGOs/self-help groups in October 2013. Independent market survey during the audit in September 2015 revealed that the prevailing MRP of a 300gm packet of Britannia Marie Gold biscuit was Rs 27 and it contained a maximum of 57 biscuits.
Holding of VCDC election simultaneously with Panchayat election in Assam, Selection of all MCLAs of BTC as per the chairman of TCLCC hope, all the demands cited above will be fulfilled for the greater public interest.
The process of peace Talk on the Bodo problem is moving tardily, which is raising dissatisfaction among the public. For the greater interest of establishing peace and stability in the region, we humbly urge upon your honour to take a needful initiative to expedite the process of Peace Talk and bring about a lasting solution of the Bodoland tangle. UPPL leader added.
