RTI activist accuses Meghalaya Govt of misusing Rs 43 Cr Covid funds

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 30, 2023

RTI activist Disparsing Rani on Monday alleged that the state government has misused funds of over Rs 43 crores sanctioned by the central government for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Addressing media persons, Rani informed that as per the RTI report received on January 20, the ministry of health and family welfare said it had approved the proposals for sanctioning of funds to all state governments as financial assistance for tackling the pandemic.

He said that the ministry under the central release of grants in aid through the NHM for Covid-19 under India Covid-19 emergence funds response and health system preparedness packages had released two separate packages for Meghalaya.

“The ministry of health and family welfare had released Rs 15.61 crores under phase I and Rs 104.12 crores under phase II for Meghalaya.”

Rani however pointed out that the health minister James K Sangma while replying in the Assembly during the last session had claimed that the state government had received only Rs 76 cores from the central government.

He said the minister’s reply is very much contradicting the RTI report which clearly stated that Meghalaya had received a total of Rs 119 crores under the first and second phase.

Therefore, this indicated that the health department of the government of Meghalaya had misused the fund of Rs 43 crores sanctioned by the Central government, he alleged.