Wasteful expenditure

SHILLONG, MAY 14: Besides incurring unnecessary expenditure on political appointees who have been appointed chairman, co-chairman or vice chairman of different boards and corporations by the state government most of these appointees are also under qualified for the post they are holding.

An RTI findings filed by the newly floated National Khasi Union (NKU) revealed that these appointees besides costing the state government Rs 4 crore annually for meeting the salaries and other expenditures of around 60 political appointees, they are also under qualified for the post they are holding.

NKU general secretary Samborlang Diengdoh told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. “There are around 60 political appointees in the different departments and most of them are found to be under qualified for the posts they have been appointed,”

These political appointees were appointed either to the posts of co-chairman, vice-chairman, deputy-chairman and others in the different board or corporation of the state government including power and tourism.

Diengdoh said interestingly, most of them are under matriculation and under graduates. According to RTI findings, one political appointee is enjoying salary of not less than one lakh rupees a month.  “The government is spending around Rs 40 lakh to meet the salaries of all these political appointees,” he said.

Diengdoh said the government is spending around Rs 18,000 for conveyance allowance against allotted car by providing 250 litres petrol per month.  Terming such political appointees as “unnecessary”, Diengdoh said, “Such appointments are rather “misappropriation” and “wastage” of public money as the state is facing huge unemployment problem.”

Diengdoh said the government should instead have spent the money on generating employment. He also said the NKU has also decided to come up with a three-point suggestion to the state government on how best it can utilize the money for the interest of the state and its people.

Diengdoh informed that the union will meet the chief minister to hand over three-point suggestion on how best the government can utilize the money in the interest of the people of the state. – By Our Reporter