Shillong, Aug 8: The Confederation of Ri Bhoi People (CORP) has accused sitting Congress MLA from Umroi constituency, Ngaitlang Dhar that he misappropriated public funds while implementing the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) or MLA scheme in the constituency.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, CORP-eastern zone president Garland Kharsyntiew said that information received by the organization after seeking information under the RTI Act, revealed various anomalies in the implementation of the scheme by the MLA.
He said that the MLA in the last elections had claimed that blankets and jerseys distributed to the people were purchased from his own pocket, but the RTI report revealed that Rs 2.10 lakh was withdrawn by him for the same purpose during 2013-2014.
The NGO leader also alleged that there was a mismatch regarding the rate quoted by the MLA while submitting the scheme for purchasing 200 blankets and 30 jerseys with the market price. “The MLA had quoted a price for each blanket at Rs 1,050 while the market price is just Rs 300,” he said.
Kharsyntiew further accused the sitting MLA that he also misappropriated funds related to distribution of CGI sheets at Rs 59.40 lakh.
According to him, CGI sheets distributed to the beneficiaries were of the size 0.25 mm which cost at around Rs 3,000 each, while the one shown by the MLA while submitting the scheme was of 0.45 mm at Rs 6,000 each.
He also said that Dhar has sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for the purchase of traditional instruments to a non-existence organization under the name of 12 Development Organization Umroi Road.
“To our knowledge, there is no such organization by this name in the constituency,” he said while seeking clarification from the MLA on the matter, failing which, they would circulate the RTI findings to all the people of Umroi constituency.