Gauhati High Court directs V&AC to take expeditious action

Corruption in Water Resources Department between 2011 & 2018

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The High Court has directed the Superintendent of Police of the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption (V&AC) to take appropriate action "as expeditiously as possible" against the persons responsible for misappropriation of funds in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur Divisions of the State's Water Resources Department between 2011 and 2018.

This directive came after the court was informed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that the complaint regarding alleged misappropriation of funds in the Water Resources Department, which was lodged by an organization named the Amguri Naba Nirman Samity, had been already forwarded to the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption for further action.

While disposing of a PIL filed by the Amguri Naba Nirman Samity in this connection, the High Court further directed the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption to inform the petitioner about the status of steps being taken in connection with the complaint.

It may be mentioned that in February this year, the High Court had directed the State Water Resources Department to file a detailed counter-affidavit in connection with the PIL (No.14/2022) filed by the Amguri Naba Nirman Samity. The petition alleged that corruption involving over Rs 50 crore took place under the Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur Divisions between 2011 and 2018.

The petitioners further complained that the both the Chief Secretary of Assam as well as the Superintendent of Police, CID failed to take any action in connection with the rampant corruption in spite of submission of written representations in this regard. Seeking a court directive for a high-level enquiry into the matter, the petitioners submitted that the facts mentioned by them are based on the Inspection Reports on the accounts of the Executive Engineer of the Dhemaji Water Resource Division for the period from August 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013; the period from January 1, 2014 to January 31, 2017; and the period from February 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. They also cited data contained in the Inspection Reports on the accounts of the Executive Engineer of the North Lakhimpur Water Resource Division for the period from September 1, 2010 to April 30, 2018.

All the relevant audit reports were prepared on behalf of the office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit), Assam. Also Read - Kamrup (M) district administration released flood helpline numbers for city The petitioners contended that a huge quantum of funds was released by the Central and State Governments during this period for various measures for flood control and management, including construction of embankments. However, they contended, officials of these two Water Resource Divisions along with construction agencies misappropriated most of the funds by manufacturing fake records under various heads such as earth filling, supply of porcupine, bamboo, timber etc.

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