CAG Flags Irregular Use of Disaster Relief Funds by Meghalaya Government

The Meghalaya government has reportedly misused the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), diverting over ₹2.15 crore for inappropriate expenditures as detailed in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The findings indicate that ₹2 crore was transferred to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) without the required approval from the State Executive Committee (SEC), with ₹1 crore classified as a “loan” despite restrictions on SDRF usage, which cannot serve as a lending facility for other accounts. The report also reveals that funds were allocated for aiding other states, including ₹1 crore to Kerala’s Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and another ₹1 crore for Cyclone Fani relief in Odisha, both deemed improper under financial guidelines. Furthermore, ₹15.45 lakh was transferred to the Secretariat Administration Department for sanitation expenses in the Shillong Secretariat, which was also criticized for violating SDRF rules, designated exclusively for disaster victim support. In response, the department admitted to using the funds inappropriately in October 2023 and suggested seeking SEC’s approval for “regularisation” of these actions. However, as of February 2024, there have been no developments regarding this regularisation process or the recovery of misallocated funds, indicating that these financial irregularities remain unaddressed.