By IANS,
Shillong: The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Tuesday walked out of the Meghalaya assembly after Speaker Charles Pyngrope rejected its demand to oust Minister Martin M. Danggo from the cabinet.
As the house began its day’s business, Leader of Opposition Conrad K. Sangma raised a point of order and asked Chief Minister D.D. Lapang to drop Danggo from the cabinet for “misuse of public money” as exposed in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report.
“We want the chief minister to give an assurance to the house that Danggo will be dropped for misuse of public money,” Sangma said.
However, Pyngrope rejected the demand, saying the matter of alleged financial irregularities committed by Danggo was being referred to the assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Danggo was conspicuous by his absence during the NCP’s demand for his removal. He, however, was seen in the house later.
The opposition NCP, barring legislator Adolf Lu Hitler R. Marak, and Independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri, then staged a walkout amid noisy scenes.
In its report, the CAG revealed that 15 legislators and two Meghalaya assembly secretariat staff members produced fake expenditure bills to claim an extra Rs.1.67 crore on a day’s study tour of the British parliament in 2006. The one-day tour later turned out to be a 10-day trip to Holland, France and Italy.
Danggo, the then speaker, had led the 17-member delegation to Europe. Pyngrope was one of the members on the tour.
Apart from the trip, CCTVs, cameras, intercom costing Rs.1.94 crore, carpets, air conditioners, inverters, Sony LCD TV and other expensive items costing Rs.2.59 crore were installed at his residence. However, on vacating the residence, Danggo never returned items worth about Rs.2.47 crore, the report said.
It said the assembly secretariat made “excess payment” of Rs.2.83 crore for executing painting work of the hostel for members of legislative assembly, “flouting provisions of financial rules” during Danggo’s tenure.
Danggo also maintained a personal gym at his official residence at the cost of tax-payer’s money, it said.
The influential Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the misappropriation of public money, while the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state unit asked the speaker to suspend all 15 legislators and order an independent inquiry into the scam.