From our Staff Correspondent

Shillong, Jan 7: State minister of General administration department (GAD) and Pynhorumkhrah MLA Alexender L Hek is accused of misutilizing the public funds meant for the constituency. This revelation was made Pynthorumkhrah People’s Association (PPA) just hours after Hek was announced as a Congress candidate from the cosmopolitan constituency located in Shillong.  

The RTI findings disclosed by the PPA exposed the blatant misuse of funds meant to the people by distribution of  the Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI) sheets, the invisible pathological clinic in the name of Nangkiew multipurpose society and the extension of rooms and affiliation fees to Golflink college

Substantiating the allegations, the spokesperson of the PPA ellaborated by outrightly stating , “Our findings clearly illustrated the tricks adopted by the sitting MLA in the name of reaching out to the people”

“There is huge mis-utilizing of the scheme in the distribution of the CGI-sheets by the legislator,” PPA adviser, Remington Lyngdoh told reporters at a news conference

 “The MLA has given Rs 2,000 to the beneficiaries instead of CGI-sheets purchased at Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 in the different years from 1998 to 2012 which are supposed to be distributed to them,” stated Lyngdoh.

According to the RTI, under the SRWP scheme 2010 – 2011, Hek has withdrawn an amount of Rs 32 lakhs for the purchase 800 bundles of CGI sheet at Rs 4,000 including delivery charge of 60 per cent and 40 per cent  while in 2011 – 2012, Rs 40 lakhs has been sanctioned for the purchase of 800 bundles of CGI-sheet at Rs 5,000.

Stating that the claimed made that there is home delivery services of the CGI sheets is not true, Lyngdoh alleged, “People have to stand in queues at the designated place to lift the CGI-sheets.”

A member of the PPA, Nongpluh said, “The MLA has misused the public money. If the CGI-Sheets have reached all the beneficiaries as claimed then why do we fail to see good houses in the constituency which has maximum of the poorer section?”   

 Besides, the RTI findings further revealed that there is misappropriation of the scheme which included the construction of electrification of X-Ray hall for Nangkiew multi-purpose society Pynthorumkhrah, picnic spot at Golflink, uplift and promoting the economic activities of women under BPL families through multi-purpose, extension of rooms and affiliation fees to Golflink college and purchase of furnitures and electric wing at Pathology Unit of Nangkiew Multi-Purpose Society Pynthorumkhrah.

Stating that Rs five lakhs was sanctioned for the construction of electrification of X-Ray hall for Nangkiew multi-purpose society in 2007, PPA spokesperson, Welcomestar Lyngdoh said, “However, we failed to see that the X-Ray hall exists in the building of the society.”

On the construction of picnic spot at the cost of Rs 2 lakh, Lyngdoh further questioned had anybody in the city ever seen such a picnic spot being constructed at Golflink adding, “The MLA has misled and trying to fool the people of the constituency.”

Interestingly, the PPA representatives on the dais consist of people who spoke nothing about the Polo encroachment.

The PPA also questioned the MLA has withdrawn up to Rs 5 lakh for the purpose of extension of rooms for Golflink College and its affiliation fees was paid to NEHU.

On the hand, he said, the Rs 4.50 lakh sanctioned for upliftment and promoting the economic activities for women under BPL families through multi-purpose society has failed to reach the beneficiaries.