Massive financial irregularities to the tune of Rs.180 crore detected in Assam NRC

December 6: In an interim report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 108 crore was detected in the recently updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. The inspection report has been submitted to the finance department.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the report was only from 2018 and only included observations and not final conclusions. The indication is that the amount of financial irregularities may increase.

Meanwhile, on 28 November, alleging massive misappropriation of government money, Assam Public Works (APW), a civil society group in Assam lodged an FIR against former NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela at the the Anti-Corruption Branch, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Guwahati. One Rajib Deka on behalf of APW. In the FIR, demand was made to inquire into the whole process of utilisation of the fund of Rs 1600 crore by CBI, which was released by the Centre.

In the FIR, Deka stated that the fund of Rs.1600 crore was spent through the then NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela. It is in this process of spending this amount that Hajela has misappropriated the government money. A large number of illegalities, financial irregularities has been committed to making the different expenditure.  Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma too had said that the CAG of India has detected huge anomalies at the NRC list and that he will table the report at the ongoing winter session of the Assam Assembly.