MLA, minister conduct joint inspection
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 19 2023:
Suspicious over the response given in the recent session of the state legislative assembly to a question raised by opposition member K Ranjit regarding utilisation of Rs 30 crore fund sanctioned under National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), veterinary & animal husbandry minister Khashim Ruiva along with officials of the department and Manipur Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited conducted a joint inspection on Sunday.
On February 3, MLA K Ranjit raised questions regarding approved funding during 2017-18 and 2022-23 under NPDD, implementing agency of the scheme, financial & physical progress, and failure to conduct audit & general body meeting for Manipur Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited.
Minister Khashim Ruiva gave relevant information to the questions and told the House that the union has been conducting regular audit.
Unsatisfied with the information, the MLA and the minister carried out the joint inspection by visiting several beneficiaries listed in the official documents in Imphal West, Bishnupur and Kakching districts.
During the visit, the team found mismatch between the documents and actual benefits received by the beneficiaries.
Some of them claimed that they had not received the benefits mentioned in the document while some said contended that they are yet to get the full amount as recorded in the document.
On the other hand, the union officials told the minister and the MLA that they have not completed preparing the audit statement upon which, MLA Ranjit came down hard on the officials for misinforming him and misleading the House with half-baked information.
He then urged the minister to form an assembly panel to investigate the implementation of the scheme to which the minister agreed to discuss the proposal as needed.
Interacting with the media, MLA Ranjit said that he brought up the questions in the assembly session after getting information of discrepancies in implementing the scheme fully funded by the ministry.
The account for the scheme is jointly operated by chairman of the union, and managing director appointed by the directorate of veterinary and animal husbandry as joint signatory.
He got information that only the signature of the MD is used for withdrawing fund from the account during the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22.In response, the minister told the House that regular financial audit is done.
As he was suspicious of the response, he appealed to the House to provide the audit report, after which a department official provided some documents.
However, the documents were simply account statements but not audit report, following which he proposed the minister for a joint inspection.
As per the account statement provided by the officials, it was learnt that over Rs 18 crore out of the Rs 30 crore had been withdrawn without proper audit and it shows discrepancies and financial mismanagement in implementing the scheme, he said.
Minister Khashim Ruiva told media persons that he has acknowledged the complaint from the MLA and he will examine the issue soon.
He assured of transparent investigation into the matter and also affirmed that as the MLA placed the matter in the interest of the farmers he as the minister will ensure that any officials involved in financial mismanagement face necessary legal action.
Khashim also assured of streamlining the implementation of the scheme as well as other schemes under the department so that the targeted beneficiaries get full benefits of the schemes.