Does State Government comply with HC orders?: RTI

GUWAHATI: An RTI (Right to Information) reply given to an NGO by the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) of the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) has brought to light several instances of various State Government departments not complying with the orders issued by the Gauhati High Court in connection with various Public Interest Litigations (PILs).

The Amguri Naba Nirman Samity (ANNS) filed an RTI application before the public information officer of the Assam Legislative Assembly, seeking information regarding the status of examinations of CAG reports by the PAC on various orders issued by the Gauhati High Court. It is a matter of fact that in most of the PILs against alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of funds in government departments, the high court often orders the departments concerned to place the reports of the CAG before the PAC of the State Assembly to examine the allegations raised by the petitioners.

However, an RTI reply that came from the PAC makes it clear that the PAC has not received any documents regarding PILs, neither from the departments nor from the High Court.

Speaking to The Sentinel, ANNS president Diganta Saikia said, “The Gauhati High Court ordered various departments of the State Government to place the CAG reports before the PAC to examine the allegations raised by us in various PILs. In a PIL (68/2021) filed against the alleged embezzlement of funds by the Social Welfare Department, the Gauhati High Court issued an order on May 19, 2022, asking the State Government to place the CAG report before PAC to examine the veracity of the allegation. In another PIL (20/2021) filed against the alleged misappropriation of Jorhat Municipal Corporation funds, the high court ordered the State Government on August 5, 2022, to place the CAG report before the PAC for verification of the allegation. In yet another PIL (3/2022) filed against the alleged misappropriation of funds by the officials of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, the high court ordered on August 18, 2022, asking the State Government to place the CAG report before the PAC for verification of the allegations raised by the petitioner. There are many such PILs in which the High Court has asked the State Government to place the CAG reports before the PAC to examine the allegations raised against the departments and their officials. However, in none of the PILs, the State Government acted according to the order of the high court.”

Saikia further said, “On June 22, 2022, the Department of Social Welfare informed us of placing the CAG report before the PAC as ordered by the Gauhati High Court in PIL 68/2021. However, with the PAC making it clear that it has not received any documents in connection with PILs, the claim from the department is now under question.”

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