Govt yet to receive any complaint on corruption in ADCs: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 29, 2020

Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said that the state government is yet to receive any complaint against the alleged corruption in the implementation of the special assistance grants (SAGs) by the autonomous district councils.

According to Tynsong, the issue was also not raised before the coordination committee of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).

He was reacting to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the MDA coalition partners, demand for a CBI probe into the alleged misappropriation of SAG funds by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).

Refusing to comment on whether the government is open for a CBI probe, Tynsong told reporters that the government is yet to receive any complaint on the matter.

“Just the other day, I asked the DCA minister (after seeing the news) on whether any formal complaint or official communication was being made to his office but the minister replied that nothing of that sort was there…so it is still in the air for us,” he said.

Moreover, the deputy chief minister said that he has nothing to comment on the issue as the state government and the district council is a totally different entity.

Asked that the BJP had also threatened to pull out of the MDA government, Tynsong however said that the issue has not been brought to the MDA coordination committee for discussion.

“It is unfortunate as it has not come to the coordination committee where the chief minister is the chairman and presidents, secretaries of all political parties under the MDA are members,” he said.

Tynsong further stated that the BJP should have taken up the matter before the MDA coordination committee.

“In fact discussion has to take place and not necessarily that we just go to press or we go to newspapers. I think we need to discuss especially since you found out that lots of misuse of funds is taking place. I think this is a very serious issue. So we need to discuss this issue in the coordination committee because it was there right from day one of the MDA government,” he said.

Asked, Tynsong however denied that the issue will affect the MDA government and the relationship among the coalition partners.  

“No nothing of that sort, we don’t have any kind of misunderstanding. Just because one of our partners in the MDA had raised issues relating to the style and functioning of a particular department or district council, I don’t see any problem in that. Any political party who is part and parcel of the MDA government, they have every right to highlight and may be to also request any concerned authority to look into complaints or grievances. We don’t have any problem with that,” he said.

Stating that he is unaware of the BJP’s intention for not bringing the matter to the coordination committee, Tynsong said the MDA government is intact and is working together to complete all programmes and policies for the interest of the people and the state.