MCTA lodges complaint against governing body of St Edmund’s College for ‘misusing’ of public fund

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 6, 2019

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) has filed a complaint against the governing body of the St Edmund’s College for their alleged involvement in illegally withdrawing of fund sanctioned by the government for payment to teachers taking morning classes. 

In an FIR submitted before the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills District on July 3, MCTA general secretary A Basaiawmoit has alleged that the secretary of the governing body, Brother Simon Coelho along with the active participation of the college’s principal Sylvanus Lamare and in conspiracy with the college’s bursar (dealing with financial matters) Brother Julius Stelgus for illegally withdrawing money/funds allotted and released by the government for the purpose of making payments to teachers engaged in taking morning shift in the college.   

Basaiawmoit said vide government letter No EDN/99/97/15 dated 13.05.1998 Director of Higher & Technical Education No CE/GA/MISC/4/93/115 dated 28.05.98 morning shift in respect of the commerce department was allowed to be paid to teachers taking morning shift/classes in St Edmund’s College and as on 8.2.2019 as borne from the records (as presented by the aforesaid secretary before the government authorities) there were 13 teachers as on February 8, 2019 whose names were reflected to be in receipt of a sum of Rs 2,000 per teacher per month. 

“Although the said amount had been consecutively withdrawn from the state exchequer yet none of the teachers whose names have been reflected by the secretary have ever received any amount in the manner as morning shift allowance and neither were these teachers privy to the fact that their names were being wrongly used for illegal withdrawing money meant as morning shift allowances,” she said. 

She said the illegalities were revealed only after the teachers were presented with the information received in the reply to an application under Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 from the additional director of Higher and Technical (T) & PIO, Meghalaya, Shillong on April 16, as well as principal Sylvanus Lamare. 

“…the additional director of Higher and Technical (T) & PIO Meghalaya, via the reply of the RTI application dated April 16, had presented all the information provided and sought for yet, Sylvanus Lamare, principal of St Edmund’s College had very conveniently and deceitful suppressed the information relating to teachers whose names had been wrongly used for illegally withdrawing money from the state government. The Bursar of St Edmund’s College who is the authority concerned in dealing with financial aspects and matters of the college and who has full knowledge of the wrong doings of the secretary and the principal has actively conspired with them in concealing and continually assisting them in perpetuating the illegal withdrawal of money from the government by unlawfully using the names of teachers without their consent,” she said in the FIR. 

In view of this, the MTCA general secretary has also sought stern and exemplary actions against the perpetrators of these despicable illegal acts so that it serve as a deterrent to any other who are contemplate to commit any similar offences in future.