The Gauhati High Court has recently granted two weeks’ time to the petitioner’s counsel to file a reply to the counter-affidavit filed by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in a public interest litigation (PIL) against misutilization of funds.
Podmo Taron, a resident of Karbi Anglong, Assam, had filed the PIL against the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) and 11 other respondents, including the Council.
The petitioner’s primary grievance was that DONER had sanctioned a grant of Rs 515.27 lakh to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council for the construction of the Diphu Sports Complex. However, despite the allocation of funds, the Council failed to utilize the amount for the intended purpose.
Instead, the funds were allegedly used for other purposes not sanctioned by the DONER.
The petitioner contended that the Diphu Sports Complex was to include various facilities such as a sports hostel, hockey field, swimming pool, indoor sports hall, spectators’ gallery, and artificial rock climbing wall. However, due to the misutilization of funds, the project has been halted.
In response to the PIL, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council filed a counter affidavit stating the funds received from the DONER had been utilized.
However, the Council added that the entire sanctioned amount had not been disbursed, resulting in the halting of the project.
The bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam granted time to the petitioner’s counsel, B Baruah, to file a reply affidavit, and listed it for further hearing after two weeks.