North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council Accused of Fraud

Rs 54 crore fraudulent drawal in NCHAC : CAG

While assessing the use development funds to

militants in North Cachar Hills district (newly named Dima Hasao) in Assam, another report came to light after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has detected several cases of fund misappropriation in North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) during the year 2007 to 2009.

The CAG has dected the 15 cases of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 54,97,49,000 in transactions of NCHAC.

The CAG report of the Government of Assam (Civil), for the year ended 31st of March 2011, which was tabled in the last day of budget session of state assembly on Friday.

The report said, in between May 5 to 28, 2007, the NCHAC drew Rs 11 crore from the district fund and it was not accounted and none of record available in the cash book.

The CAG also said in its report, the council failed to produced the details of utilisation report of Rs 7 crore which was withdran from the district fund for agriculture sector between October 17, 2007 to March 18, 2009.

The CAG could not trace any details of utilisation report of several crores in Public Works Department (PWD), Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Health and Family Welfare Department, Social Welfare Department during the year 2007 to 2009.

The special audit covered transactions in 30 departments in the autonomous council.

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.