GUWAHATI, Feb 4 : The State government has entrusted the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Assam, with the job of investigating into the large-scale financial irregularities in the Assam Livestock and Poultry Corporation. This was disclosed by the Veterinary Minister, Sri Hem Prakash Narayan today. Addressing a press conference here today, Sri Narayan said that a case has also been registered with the vigilance and anti-corruption branch of the Assam police in this regard.
Sri Narayan said that large-scale financial irregularities over the years have crippled the corporation. He expressed the view that the condition of the corporation deteriorated fast during the tenures of Dr J M Buzarbaruah and Sri Rabin Saikia as chairman of the corporation. He gave some examples of the financial irregularities in the corporation and said that during preliminary investigation, irregularities amounting to Rs 18 lakh were detected only on travel allowances. He revealed that former chairman Dr Buzarbaruah took Rs 2.68 lakh, former chairman Rabin Saikia took Rs 5.70 lakh, former vice-chairman took Rs 2.42 lakh and former managing director took Rs 2.31 lakh illegally from the corporation as travel allowances. Moreover, these persons spent huge sums of money from the imprest account and in the name of repairing the vehicles. The air conditioned car of the corporation is missing from the house of former MD Dr Ramendra Nath Baruah.
Sri Narayan said that during the tenure of Dr Buzarbaruah as the chairman of the corporation, Rs 69 lakh was distributed among some persons and organisation with doubtful credential but of that no paper was available regarding distribution of Rs 15 lakh. The building of the corporation, located at Islampur was sold out at an abnormally low price, he added. Irregular appointments by the persons at the helm of affairs have also increased the financial burden of the corporation. Sri Narayan revealed that against 43 sanctioned posts, the corporation now has 115 employees. Poor rate of recovery of the loans is another problem of the corporation. As many as 22 persons were appointed for recovery of loans, but their appointments failed to deliver the goods.