Guwahati: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has questioned the way disaster relief money was handled by the Meghalaya government, stating that funds meant for emergency response were used for unrelated purposes.
The audit revealed that more than Rs 2.15 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund was spent on activities such as providing financial support to other states and covering sanitation expenses at the government Secretariat in Shillong.
The review found that Rs 2 crore from the disaster relief pool was redirected to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. This transfer, according to the report, took place without the approval of the State Executive Committee, which is required before such decisions can be made.
The auditors also noted that Rs 1 crore from this amount was labelled as a “loan” to the relief fund, even though the SDRF is strictly meant for disaster management activities and cannot be used to lend money to other government funds.
Further examination showed that the money shifted to the relief fund was later used to make contributions outside Meghalaya. The report mentioned that Rs 1 crore was sent to assist relief efforts in Kerala, while another Rs 1 crore was allocated to help people affected by Cyclone Fani in Odisha.
Although these contributions were presented as support during crises, the audit pointed out that disaster response funds are restricted in use and cannot be spent on such donations.
The auditors also identified another instance where money from the SDRF was used for routine administrative purposes. In March 2020, Rs 15.45 lakh from the fund was released to the Secretariat Administration Department to carry out sanitation work in public areas of the Shillong Secretariat.
The report stated that this spending did not match the approved categories under disaster relief guidelines, which are intended to assist people affected by natural disasters rather than cover maintenance work at government premises.
In its reply submitted in October 2023, the Meghalaya Revenue and Disaster Management Department acknowledged that the spending fell outside the permitted categories.
The department said it would place the matter before the State Executive Committee to seek approval after the expenditure had already been made.
However, the audit observed that by February 2024 there had been no information on whether the issue was resolved or if the misused funds were restored to the disaster relief account.