Harka party calls for CAG audit into GTA expenses

Amitava Banerjee, HT, 26 September 2916, DARJEELING: The Jan Andolan Party (JAP) has demanded that the state government conduct an audit into the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration’s (GTA) expenses through the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and make the report public.

The party feels that in case of any major anomalies, the state should dissolve the existing GTA sabha. JAP, which dubbed the 12-hour bandh called by the GJM on September 28 as “antipeople”, has decided to oppose it. Incidentally, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during her recent visit to Kalimpong, had claimed that the government allotted Rs 4,000 crore to the GTA since its inception four-and-a-half years ago. Gurung had countered this by calling a 12-hour Darjeeling bandh on September 28.

Amar Lama, JAP bureau member, said, “Mere allegations by the state will not suffice. If the state has the political will, it should immediately conduct a financial audit by the CAG. Section 55 of Chapter 5 of the GTA Act allows the state to do so. The report should be made public. If any anomalies are found, then Section 64 of the GTA Act should be immediately invoked by the state government,” demanded Lama.

Section 64 of the GTA Act states that if the body has shown any incompetency in the discharge of duties as specified in the Act or abused its powers the government can call for reconstituting the GTA within six months. As per the GTA’s claims, the amount of funds received since its inception four-and-a-half years ago stand at Rs 2,927 crore.

“They have not made public many important central funds, including Rs 92 crore for rural electrification, Rs 80 crore Sarva Siksha Aviyan, Rs 321 crore PMGSY and Rs 282 crore for MGNREGA. They are accountable for central funds also as these are routed through the state,” said Lama. JAP feels that the impasse is over growing differences between TMC and GJM. “The GJM claims that TMC and JAP are both sides of the same coin,” said the JAP bureau member.