SCAMOD moves HC for CBI probe
Fake TA bills
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy (SCAMOD) has filed a PIL in the Gauhati High Court seeking CBI inquiry into the fake TA bill controversy involving several MLAs of the erstwhile MPA Government.
SCAMOD convener Agnes Kharshiing submitted the PIL in the principal bench of the court in Guwahati on Thursday.
In the PIL, Kharshiing pointed out to “serious inconsistencies” in the claims of the TA bills for foreign trips undertaken by the legislators as revealed in the CAG report last year.
The Speaker has already asked the Public Accounts Committee of the Assembly to investigate the matter of alleged excess expenditure for the foreign trip of a 17-member delegation in 2006.
The delegation including the then Speaker Martin Danggo had received invitation for one-day visit to the British Parliament on October 9, 2006, but they visited Paris (France), Rome (Italy) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) at government expense during the tour, Kharsiing said.
The CAG report revealed that air fare at the rate of Rs 4.55 lakh was claimed on the basis of certificate issued by a travel agency, which actually did not provide the tickets, and that the actual cost of tickets was far less, the SCAMOD convener said, adding that the expenses for local journeys abroad were claimed at the rate of Rs 6.61 lakh by each member of the delegation on the basis of self certificates and no proof of tickets, receipts etc., were produced along with the TA claims.
But surprisingly, the Assembly Secretariat cleared the TA bills with such grave anomalies, Kharsiing said.
Citing the anomalies pointed out in the CAG report, the SCAMOD convener appealed to the High Court to order a CBI inquiry into the alleged scam.
“In view of the fact that high profile bureaucrats and politicians are involved in such corrupt practices, an inquiry by an independent agency like the CBI would meet the ends of justice,” she added.
Earlier, the PAC had received the replies of MLAs and Assembly Secretariat on the alleged fake TA bills.
Source: The Shillong Times
