By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 24: When it comes to clean administration, it is money that matters the most. The failure in the submission of utilization certificates (UCs) against funds supposed to have been spent scripted the defeat of the last Tarun Gogoi-led Congress Government in Assam in the electoral battle. With the change of guards at Dispur, the new dispensation has been banking on departments, including educatiol institutions in the State, to clear their UCs so as to ensure a clean administration.
However, the route to solve the problem is not as simple as it is thought to be. Despite sending letters to various educatiol institutions for the submission of UCs against the funds they received from various heads, UCs against crores of rupees supposed to have been spent are not forthcoming. This has led Dispur to send reminders to the institutions, besides setting up time stipulations of 15 days, for the submission of the UCs.
The Department of Higher Education, Assam sent letters to the heads of various colleges in the State on June 9 this year asking them to submit the utilization certificates of funds which they had received under various schemes of the 12th Fince Commission Award. The schemes against which utilization certificates have been sought are development of libraries, grant-in-aid amounting to Rs 980 lakh to 196 colleges, Rs 90 lakh to Assam Publication Board, Rs 1440.18 lakh to Dibrugarh University for implementation of development schemes under BTC, Rs 300 lakh to BTC Principal secretary for implementation of development schemes undet BTC and Rs 145 lakh for the GU campus at Kokrajhar. This amount, totaling Rs 2955.18 lakh, was released in 2008, but their utilization certificates have not been submitted for around eight years.
Likewise, Dispur has also been sending reminders to various government and provincialized colleges of the State for the submission of utilization certificates for funds they had received in fiscal 2007-08 under the revised UGC arrears. Crores of rupees are involved under the revised UGC arrears. Since the colleges are not in a position to submit their utilization certificates despite receiving reminders from the department as many as three times, there is every reason to presume swindling of funds.
If the department which is responsible for development of human resources in the State cannot set an example by being honest in spending every penny it receives from the government and its agencies which else can? Will the new dispensation at Dispur allow such a corrupt legacy to be passed on in the State administration? Two months in power is too small a time to do anything much worthwhile. It’s a matter to be keenly watched as to how Dsipur can make the corrupt departments cough up the funds swindled by them.