The United People’s Party-Liberal (UPPL) staged a three-hour sit-in-demonstration across the four districts of BTAD in Assam on Friday seeking immediate high level inquiry on the basis of CAG report on the BTC, holding of VCDC election simultaneously with panchayat election in Assam, selection of all elected MCLAs of BTC as the chairman of TCLCC.
A sit-in-demonstration was also staged near Deputy Commissioner’s office at Udalguri .Hundreds of party leaders and supporters with banners and placards participated in the demonstration and shouted slogans demanding a high level inquiry into financial irregularities and anomalies which was unearthed by the CAG of India in BTC administration, conduct VCDC elections simultaneously with panchayat in the State.
The UPPL alleged that over rs 1000 crores of financial irregularities have been reported in the council which was unearthed by CAG report.
The party members also alleged that the BPF being ally of the government, no inquiry has been initiated yet. UPPL general secretray Pradip Kr Daimari while participating in the protest demonstration demanded early inquiry into financial anomalies in the CAG report.
“The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has done audit in all departments of the BTC and unearthed multi-crore rupees anomalies to the tune of minimum Rs 180 crore, only under the Chief Discretionary (CD) fund,” said Daimari.
The CAG report found that BTC under supplementary nutrition programme of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) procured Britannia Marie Gold biscuit at the cost of Rs 45 per packet, which was almost double to the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs 27. The BTC procured school bags at the rate of Rs 556 each, much higher than the prevailing market price. The BTC also procured 824 piece of HP Laser Jet P-1108 printer at the rate of Rs 11,950 each whereas the MRP printed on these printers was of Rs 6,599 only.
The UPPL leader said the CAG report had exposed many aspects of financial mismanagement and corruption in BTC like irregularities in audit system, diversion of funds in several departments, excess expenditures in several works and procurement of goods, undue financial aid to contractors in implementation of schemes, fraudulent payments and doubtful procurements of various materials
A 14-member delegation of UPPL also called on the Governor Jagdish Mukhi and submitted a memorandum seeking high level inquiry on November 26 last, but except a formal letter action has been taken alleged the protestors.
The protesters observed that like panchayat elections in other parts of the State, there should be VCDC elections in the BTC area so that people could get the right of decentralised power under the provisions of the Constitution of India for more development in the remote areas.
The tripartite talk on Bodoland issue is hardly taking any pace, which is raising dissatisfaction among the public. For establishing tranquillity and stability in the region, we seek needful initiative to expedite the process of peace talk and to bring about a lasting solution of the Bodoland tangle,” the UPPL leader added. The protest programme was also attended by vice-president of UPPL, Braman Baglari and local party leaders