Shillong, Jan 7: Over 26 Members of the District Council (MDCs) have allegedly failed to provide details on the implementation of the Council Scheme for the Special Town and Rural Welfare Programme.

This was revealed in the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report for the financial year ending March 31, 2019.

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) implemented the scheme with the objective of assisting below-poverty-line (BPL) families facing acute difficulties. The programme aimed to enable these families to cope with their challenges while encouraging them to pursue meaningful and sustainable self-employment.

According to the scheme guidelines, the programme was to be implemented through MDCs to ensure maximum and wide coverage. Funds were to be released directly to the MDCs, who bore the responsibility of utilizing the funds transparently and earnestly. MDCs were also required to submit Utilisation Certificates (UCs), along with supporting vouchers, within six months of the fund’s release.

In 2018-19, KHADC sanctioned ₹182.00 lakh under the Special Town and Rural Welfare Programme. The grants were approved by the Executive Committee and distributed as follows: ₹4 lakh to 7 MDCs, ₹6 lakh to 7 MDCs, and ₹8 lakh to 14 MDCs. This included an initial allocation of ₹24 lakh on April 12, 2018, and ₹158 lakh on January 15, 2019. The funds were disbursed with the stipulation that UCs must be submitted within six months of receipt.

An audit revealed that the Secretary, Executive Committee, KHADC, released the funds as planned—₹24 lakh on April 13, 2018, and ₹158 lakh on January 21, 2019. However, only two MDCs submitted UCs and supporting vouchers, accounting for ₹14 lakh. Of this amount, ₹8 lakh was provided to a women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) in the form of materials like utensils and tarpaulins. Another ₹6 lakh was distributed to 128 individuals for purposes such as house repairs, purchasing CGI sheets, textbooks, PA systems, medicines, sports materials, school uniforms, and plastic chairs.

The CAG report further noted that the remaining 26 MDCs failed to submit records detailing the beneficiaries, including BPL families, SHGs, NGOs, and individuals. The report highlighted that there was no documentation of activities such as rural upliftment, self-employment training, women empowerment, or empowerment of people with disabilities, to which these funds were allocated. Additionally, UCs and supporting vouchers were not submitted, making it impossible to verify the expenditure of ₹168 lakh from the Council’s fund.

The Secretary to the Executive Committee, KHADC, acknowledged the audit observations in August 2022. Despite issuing several reminders, the defaulter MDCs had not submitted the required UCs.

The CAG recommended that the Council maintain proper accounts with relevant supporting documents to ensure that programme funds are utilized for legitimate purposes. It also suggested that the Council frame appropriate rules to regulate discretionary grants provided to MDCs for welfare schemes and ensure their proper accounting.

Also Read: Negotiations with HNLC remain open, Says Meghalaya Chief Secretary

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub