Editor,
I wish to react to the news item which appeared prominently in an English daily on June 13, 2022 under the caption, “Opposition plea for tightening belt after CAG missive” and subsequent reports connected with the subject in question where it was reported that the Governor has sought the Meghalaya Chief Minister’s intervention on the non-maintenance of accounts by the three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of Jaintia Hills, Khasi Hills and Garo Hills which has led to the habitual undeterred rampant embezzlement of public funds by these constitutional bodies.
In this connection, I am tempted to openly ask this question from the public of Meghalaya as to who are responsible for electing the MDCs and why the CAG of Meghalaya which is constitutionally mandated to keep a tap of the incomes and expenditures of these bodies by auditing their accounts from time to time be allowed to do whatever they like (“embezzled”) with public funds for so long? Why are they not made accountable to anyone for the huge money they collect by way of their own collection of taxes, shares of taxes from the State government, royalties, tolls, fees etc and huge grants under Article 275 and special grant assistance from the Finance Commission. All these yearly revenues amounted to many crores of rupees. It is a fact that the ADCs do not only maintain their accounts timely but also irregularly and haphazardly because there are no proper systems of accounting.
What is urgently required is to overhaul the whole system of maintenance of accounts by inducting the latest financial experts in accountancy so that everything is up to date. More importantly is to ensure by bringing in place a complete system of financial responsibility, accountability and transparency in these bodies. What was going on all these years was that money could be drawn and utilised at will based on the whims and fancies of those in authority at the Executive Committees. It was really a great puzzle to witness that in the name of some schemes how the ADCs’ funds were embezzled left and right without any qualms of conscience by those in authority and without least bothered that the funds belong to the public and not their fathers’ hard earned money.
It must also be admitted that the CAG has failed many times in the past to prepare timely audit reports because we came across that the CAG issued audit reports pertaining to old financial years. It may not be out of place to suggest to the CAG that he may depute experts to impart intensive trainings to the ADCs’ personnel who are dealing in the day today accounts of the ADCs so that accounts keeping records are correct and in order in all respects as deem fit and proper as desired by CAG standards. This will also facilitate timely submission of accounts by the ADCs and make the job of the CAG easy.
Let us, from now on, I hope that the ADCs here in our State will deliver good governance (which we doubt) and live up to the goals for which they are mandated by the constitution and that the public funds entrusted to them are in their safe hands, devoid of the repeated bad news of defalcation and corruption by these bodies which are duty bound to safeguard, preserve and protect the land, identities, culture etc of the tribals here in Meghalaya.
