By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 24: Citing a CAG report, United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL) has moved the Assam Governor over an alleged Rs 180 crore scam in BTAD that took place during 2008-2014.
Talking to the media in Guwahati on Tuesday, UPPL president UG Brahma said: “The scam has been exposed in the latest CAG report that was tabled in BTC session on August 29 this year. The CAG report says ‘preparation of budget and receiving of funds for all departments provides wide room for all kinds of fincial mischief, willfulness including diversion, misappropriation and siphoning of funds. With such records, no audit can be done in a proper manner justifiably to the established rule.”
Brahma further said: “Annual accounts compiled without reconciliation with treasury records, failure to retain professiol tax of its own staff, despite it being provided by its own rule framed in 2012, deposit of total revenue realized by BTC in PLA without the ectment of rule properly, non-setting of 90:10 share of motor vehicle with the State government that led to irregular retention of revenue by BTC, ibility to utilize that fund and many other aspects only show that the Council administration is running without any system and extensive corruption is engulfing it.”
“Major irregularities have been unearthed in utilizing funds in the me of BTC Chief’s discretiory funds in violation of rule. Expenditure of Rs 180.33 crore from 2010-11 to 2013-14 has been found under idmissible head of account by the BTC. Irregularities have also been found in the purchase of school bags, computer sets, VST Shakti Reaper and incomplete distribution of school bags too,” Brahma said, adding: “Gross anomalies have been detected in the me of distribution of CGI sheets to riot-affected people of Udalguri district in 2008. For free ‘tractorization’ of land of 15,254 families affected in the riots of 2012 in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts, Rs 2.76 crore was sanctioned. Many of the ‘tractor owners’ who drew payment showed registration numbers of vehicles like Tavera, Tata Indica and motorcycles.”
On Tuesday, the UPPL moved Governor Jagdish Mukhi with a memorandum, urging him to ensure an inquiry into the anomalies in BTC on the basis of the CAG report.
The party has alleged that along with political leaders, a section of bureaucrats is also involved in the scam. Brahma demanded BTC CEM Hagrama Mohilary to make his stand clear on the CAG report.