GUWAHATI, Nov 23 � The Central Bureau of Investigation today filed chargesheets in connection with three of the nine cases registered on the alleged multi-crore fund anomalies in the North Cachar Hills Autonmous Council (NCHAC) during the 2008-09 financial year, naming 16 persons, including two former chief executive members of the council and a number of government officials as accused.
While nine accused were named in the first charge-sheet where misappropriation of Rs 1.74 crore was unearthed in the Public Works Department (PWD), the investigators named another five for masterminding embezzlement to the tune of Rs 1.98 crore in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department.
In the third case relating to corruption in the Agriculture Department, two accused were named. An amount of Rs 15.75 lakh was siphoned off in the Agriculture Department case.
The charge-sheets were filed in the Court of the Special Judge, Guwahati.
�In the PWD case, funds were shown spent in the name of expenses incurred during cutting of roads and landslides, unlike what was practically done. In the PHE Department, as many as 13 cheques were issued in the name of maintenance, while in the Agriculture Department, of the Rs 18.75 lakh allotted under the IJDP, only Rs 3 lakh was spent and the remaining amount was siphoned off,� said H Nongpluh, Head of Zone, CBI, Anti-Corruption Zone, while talking to media persons.
Those named in the charge-sheet in the PWD funds embezzlement are Depolal Hojai, chief executive member, NCHAC; Debabrata Seal, executive engineer, PWD; Joythanon Thaosen, junior engineer, PWD; PK Roy, sub engineer-II, PWD; KS Das, AEE (rtd), PWD; HS Das, accounts officer(retired); Keshab Bhattacharjee, cashier, PWD; Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, private contractor; and Debasis Bhattacharjee, private engineer.
In the second case (PHE), Mohit Hojai, the then CEM of NCHAC; Karuna Saikia, EE, PHE, Haflong; Uttam Phanglosa, UDA of District Library, Haflong; Dilip Phanglosa, private contractor; and Jibangsu Paul, private contractor were named as accused.
Dipak Hazarika, assistant executive engineer, Agriculture department, Haflong, and Pramod Chandra Saikia were named as accused in the third case relating to embezzlement in the Agriculture Department.
On the remaining six cases which include alleged anomalies in the Forest, Social Welfare, Health, DRDA and Soil Conservation departments, Nongphuh said �investigation is on and there is not much that could be shared with the media.�
He, however, conceded that an estimated amount of Rs 52 crore were embezzled, which encompasses all the nine cases.
Of the nine cases the CBI is investigating, the Assam Government had referred five cases in 2010 and four in 2010.
Parliament impasse on for second day
New Delhi, Nov 23 � Government�s efforts to avert a confrontation in Parliament today came to a naught with the Opposition pressing for adjournment motions on price rise and black money, paralysing the Winter session for the second day, reports PTI
No work was transacted in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as uproar was also witnessed on other issues including, separate Telangana, leading to their adjournment for the day.
Added to the Opposition uproar were protests by two key UPA allies - DMK and NCP. While DMK members in the Lower House stormed the Well in protest against a film allegedly showing havoc caused by destruction of a dam in south India, NCP members raised the issue of restrictions on onion exports by displaying placards.
The two Houses were earlier adjourned till noon soon after assembling for the day as several members, including those from the Left, stormed the well.
In the Rajya Sabha, BSP members also trooped into the Well in support of the Left members, shouting slogans against price rise.
BJP members, however, did not go into the Well and kept pressing for admission of their adjournment motion on black money from their seats.
Only yesterday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had urged political parties to work together to push forward the development agenda for the country and government managers were hopeful of smooth proceedings in Parliament today.
The last session of Parliament could not transact much business despite heavy government agenda.