Digboi Municipal Board comes under scanner while handling financial aspects

DIGBOI: Pabitra Kumar Das, the Subdivisional Officer (Civil) of Margherita who recently took charge, lamented during an interaction with this correspondent at his office chamber recently that the Digboi Municipal Board (DMB) had not taken him into confidence while handling the financial aspects of the civic body despite being asked to.

The state of affairs of the DMB has been directly managed and controlled through the appointed magistrate following the dissolution of the elected body earlier in the month of April, 2020 after completion of its term.

Being confronted with several queries centering around alleged anomalies of the civic body involving the award of contract without floating formal tender, irrational and exorbitant hike in holding tax, alleged purchase of second-hand generator set at an abnormally higher price, forgery and meaningless withholding of monthly remuneration of four ward commissioners for more than seven months, the official immediately called on the appointed magistrate and directed him to take a serious note of the issues. The magistrate, however, allegedly failed to provide specific information on the ground that he had taken charge from his predecessors just two months back.

On the other hand, Bikash Gogoi, the DMB engineer, during an informal meeting with media persons in his office, preferred not to comment on any of the issues. He, however, said that the sudden and enormous hike in holding tax was not a rational decision. According to him, the office accountant had every detail of affairs related to the DMB, its projects and schemes whatsoever being implemented. Few ongoing civil works in certain wards were awarded without any tender due to some urgency, said Gogoi.

Meanwhile, a five-member group of disgruntled ward commissioners, who submitted a petition for the reimbursement of their monthly remuneration to the SDO Civil recently, alleged that anomalies, malpractices, and red-tapism had become the features of the civic body.

Bhaskar Jiban Baruah, the former chairperson of the civic body, who has been running from pillar to post seeking immediate reformations, transparency in governance, fair and equitable allocation of funds for the wards, categorically said, "The expiry of the term in April 2020 and subsequent taking over the charge by the subdivisional administration has simply proved a blessing in disguise for a section of officials who are acting arbitrarily and almost hijacking the entire system to suits their designs," said Baruah.

Also watch: The Road That Leads to Assam BJP HQ A Shame