Financial scam suspected in waste management by Tinsukia Municipal Board

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TINSUKIA: A huge financial scam has been suspected in Tinsukia Municipal Board (TMB) in respect of disposal of garbage, clean environment, health and hygiene.

Following alleged financial irregularities and non-transparency in the matter of Solid Waste Management Project being run by TMB and its implementing NGO- Care North East Foundation (CNEF), the inquiry committee constituted by Tinsukia district administration pointed out gross violation of several clauses of MoU while CNEF attempted to clarify some allegations before media persons at a press meet held at Tinsukia on Wednesday that ran into rough weather after it failed to produce any financial record other than passing the buck to TMB.

The major contentious issue was that the CNEF had been handling crores of rupees from its own NGO account without opening joint account as mandated in MoU since 2019. Interestingly, Tinsukia, with its worst civic amenities 'managed' to receive Swachh City Award achieving first rank in November 2021in NE Zone!

The inquiry committee headed by Nayan Jyoti Bhagawati, District Development Commissioner, Tinsukia, in its report suggested that the MoU should be terminated as per clause 2.5 of MoU as the main objective for which the MoU was signed between TMB and CNEF has been jeopardized and fresh process of outsourcing the work of solid waste management be initiated and also suggested to constitute an expert panel to look into several instances of financial irregularities.

The report pointed out that "The CNEF have not handed over the account of their collections from other sources including usage charges and other revenue receipts. The TMB too did not put much effort for opening of joint accounts". It also referred that there was no review meeting to assess the performance of NGO during the period from 31.12.2019 to 21.06.2021. Despite huge monthly collection, the safai workers engaged by the CNEF for door-to-door collection were not properly paid and were even allegedly threatened to lay-off and some of them were even fired.

In the press meet on Wednesday, the director of CNEF, Dr Sanjay Gupta who in a bid to clarify some allegations on financial misappropriations, took a dig at TMB for its lapses while projecting his NGO to be a clean and committed organization. After facing a volley of queries, Dr Gupta agreed to provide records 'later on' and told media persons that the society registration of his NGO- CNEF had lapsed almost two years back and he had applied for renewal. He was also told that holding a press meet at this juncture was inappropriate but he said that he was unaware about inquiry findings even as the statements and records of both TMB and CNEF were thoroughly examined by the inquiry committee. The media persons almost abandoned the press meet.

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