Seeks clarification on fraudulent GPF drawal, other issues
Dimapur, November 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) today said that a sum of Rs 14.59 crore had been released for providing “Winter Clothing to Elementary Students of Government Schools during 2017-18.”
The amount, informed a press release from NPRAAF’s Information & Publicity Cell, was released by the State Finance Department (Budget & Monitoring Cell) to the School Education Department.
“The Drawal Authority was issued on May 19, 2017 under Demand No. 31. The release was made against ‘re-appropriation of fund from Planning Machinery’,” it said.
With the winter season “already at the doorsteps,” NPRAAF opined that the “clothing should have reached each and every elementary student” as the fund was released six months back.
In this connection, the Forum encouraged the respective schools particularly students, parents/guardians and VEC members to find out whether such winter clothing has been received. “Accordingly take up the matter with the respective authorities,” it added.
Meanwhile, NPRAAF further said that the Finance Department also released an amount of Rs 8, 31,490 on August 31, 2016 under Demand No 31 to be withdrawn from under Head of Account No 8550 – Civil Advances for “payment of GPF fraudulently drawn in respect of 4nos of Primary Teachers.”
The “fraudulent drawal” reflected the “inefficiency of the employees handling the matters,” it noted, adding that, “Such fraud would be difficult to be committed unless some government insiders assist the fraudsters.”
In this connection, NPRAAF demanded to know whether the responsible authority had taken any action “upon the employees for their incompetence and whether inquiry was initiated and the report thereof.”
“With such fraudulent drawals of the hard-earned money/savings, no government employee would feel secure about their financial savings in the hands of the State,” it further stated.
Even if such savings are repaid by the government, NPRAAF said that, the employees would face difficulties to claim their savings if the “time of fraud and their financial need” occur at the same time.
Unreasonable bureaucratic and clerical delays will also increase their burden, it added.
According the NPRAAF, the Finance Department also released Rs 15.88 lakh to the School Education Department on August 4, 2016 under the head, “looted money by unidentified gunmen” on 19 September 2009.
In the regard, it wanted to know whether appropriate action had been taken against employees for any dereliction of duty as well as the final inquiry report.
Were preventive measures taken against such incidents? NPRRAF posed, urging upon the “responsible authorities” to clarify on the issue.
It also asserted its position that every single penny meant for public “should be accounted for” and cautioned the government not to treat amounts of few lakhs as meagre amounts “since such attitude would encourage anti-social elements to continue committing crimes.” NPRAAF also appealed the public to remind steadfast with “it since it is in active consultation with legal luminaries to ensure that all issues taken up are brought to logical conclusions.”
It further asked the “Finance Department to explain as to what it meant by ‘re-appropriation of fund’ but chose to remain silent” on the issue earlier.
.JPG)
