The Meghalaya BJP reiterated its demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged “rampant corruption” in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
The party stated that 50 per cent of all projects undertaken by the GHADC are only on papers, and an Executive Member of the JHADC has accepted that a whopping Rs 20 crore was diverted for paying salaries.
“It was not surprising to see leaders running under the cover of ‘charges are unsubstantiated’ and ‘allegations are baseless.’ Who kisses and tells?” said Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie.
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He further stated that the BJP came out with the allegations through the press with substantial proof of blatant corruption.
“We assure to the people of Meghalaya that we have submitted all the documents with our request for a CBI enquiry,” he added.
He also said that almost 50 per cent of all projects undertaken by the GHADC are only on papers and the money spent on foot over bridges only took people across mirage of development over barren grounds.
“The people can also infer the truth from the fact that after the BJP highlighted the mismanagement of funds in JHADC, an executive member (EM) of the JHADC accepted that they had paid salaries with money meant for the benefit of the people,” he said.
“Please note that this is a whopping sum of Rs 20 crore that was diverted. Moreover, this ‘temporary arrangement’ is making a mockery of the funds received under the Central scheme,” he said.
“The EM claims that the repayment of this ‘unauthorised loan’ is ‘conditional’ upon receiving money from the state government. Is such an arrangement even allowed? Is it even legal,” he questioned.
The BJP leader also asked National People’s Party (NPP) state president, and newly elected Rajya Sabha member, W R Kharlukhi, not to comment on the internal matters of a National Party (BJP).
“He has no authority to comment on the internal matters of a National Party. First, he needs to update himself on who is in the NDA alliance,” Mawrie said.
“As recently after being elected (as Rajya Sabha member), he had named potential Prime Ministerial candidates from the eastern region, the likes of Tarun Gogoi and Mamata Banerjee,” he added.
“After the CBI inquiry proves that there is serious corruption, then it will be W R Kharlukhi who will have to resign as state party president and Rajya Sabha MP,” the BJP leader added.
The BJP with two MLAs is part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by the NPP.
“We cannot and do not support corruption. For the BJP, the people have always come first, and we do not look at forming a government at any level of governance as means to line our own beds with money generated from corruption,” the BJP president lambasted.
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Earlier, Mawrie had stated that if the state government failed to stop corruption in the two district councils, the party was ready to withdraw support from the MDA government.