The National People’s Party (NPP) will study and “attend to the findings and recommendations” of the audit team that is probing alleged financial irregularities in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) if it is able to form the next executive committee, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has said.
The special auditors were appointed by the state government after constant accusations of mismanagement in the council by staff and political parties.
“They (auditors) are stationed in the GHADC office right now and are still going through everything,” Tynsong said yesterday. “After we form the new EC, we will be able to get a report from them and based on this we will accordingly attend to the findings and recommendations.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy CM expressed confidence that the NPP will sweep the April 12 election and form a majority in the 30-member house.
“According to inputs we are in a very good position and hopefully we are able to cross the magic number in at least 15-20 seats,” he told reporters.
Only the NPP and Congress Party are contesting all 29 seats going to the polls; the other seat is an appointed one.
Meanwhile, he was non-committal when it came to the question of whether the NPP, if it wins the election, would amend the rules governing the GHADC to exclude non-tribals from contesting or voting in the polls, which is currently allowed but which is fiercely opposed by pressure groups, who want the council to be by and for tribals only.
As the Centre is in the midst of passing amendments to the Sixth Schedule, under which the district councils operate, there is no need to pass any amendment to keep non-tribals out.
“Let us wait till the Parliament passes the amendment to the Sixth Schedule and … once the amendment bill is passed in Parliament all the three (district councils) are bound to amend their rules,” he said.
