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BJP threatens to pull out of NPP-led Govt in Meghalaya

By The Assam Tribune

SHILLONG, Sept 9 - The BJP today threatened to pull out of the National People�s Party (NPP)-led Government in Meghalaya over alleged corrupt practices in the implementation of the multi-crore-rupee special assistance grant (SAG) to the tribal autonomous councils here. The party, which is part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, has also demanded a CBI inquiry into what it alleged, is a scam in the utilisation of the SAG funds.

�It is very unfortunate that the SAG funds meant for the development of areas under the two ADCs � Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) � have been misused by the NPP. There is blatant corruption in the two ADCs,� BJP State president Ernest Mawrie alleged.

�We demand that the NPP executive committees in these two ADCs stop such activities, else we may consider the option of pulling out of the coalition,� he said.

The BJP, he said, favours a CBI inquiry into the irregularities and corrupt practices.

According to the State BJP chief, a sum of over Rs 20 crore of the SAG development fund has been diverted for payment of salaries of employees in the JHADC, violating the guidelines.

In the GHADC, a documentary project costing Rs 5.82 crore was allotted without any tender or bidding for supplying of information, education and communication materials (IEC) to the council, he said.

The work for the IEC project was handed over to a relative of the wife of Power Minister, James PK Sangma, and is being carried out by an officer attached to the Chief Minister�s Office, Maurie claimed.

�In the light of these irregularities and misuse of the SAG funds, I have already written to the Centre for instituting a CBI inquiry into the whole issue and to punish the culprits as per law,� the BJP chief said.

Of the Rs 1,000 crore sanctioned by the Centre to ADCs in the North East region during 2015-16, the KHADC has received Rs 133.12 crore, while the GHADC and the JHADC got Rs 100.71 crore and Rs 33.57 crore respectively.

Besides, the Centre had released SAG funds of Rs 34.87 crore to the KHADC, Rs 31.40 crore to the GHADC and Rs 11.62 crore to the JHADC in March last year. It is very unfortunate that the SAG funds meant for the development of areas under the two ADCs have been misused by the ruling party, Mawrie said.

The BJP leader has also slammed the NPP and its main ally � United Democratic Party (UDP) � for sidelining the saffron party�s MDCs in the two ADCs. The BJP has three MDCs in the JHADC and seven MDCs in the GHADC.

�It is also sad that in spite of the fact that we are part of the MDA Government, our MDCs in these two ADCs were made to sit in the Opposition bench,� he said.

In the JHADC, the SAG funds are being transferred directly to the bank accounts of the elected members supporting the NPP, which leads the committee, he claimed.

The ruling MDA comprises the NPP, United Democratic Party, Peoples Democratic Front, BJP, Hill State Peoples Democratic Party, NCP and three Independents. � PTI

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