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Journalism of Courage
Two reports compiled by the Principal Accountant General (PAG) and submitted to the state government last month reveal that more than 40 MLAs who took loans from the government failed to repay it,and some MLAs have claimed hefty travel allowances without actually undertaking a tour.
According to a PAG report,of the 61 MLAs who took loans for vehicles at a subsidised rate of 5 per cent interest per annum during 2001-07,only 16 have repaid the amount. They include Inder Singh Namdhari,Babulal Marandi (Independent MPs) and Hem Lal Murmu (states health minister). The rest 45,including Chief Minister Arjun Munda and former CM Madhu Koda,have not cleared their loans till date.
PAG auditors found that BJPs Lok Nath Mahato attended the Backward Caste Committees meetings as its MLA here between March 3 and April 19,2008. But he claimed travel allowance for flying to Delhi on April 4,2008. Similarly,while then Congress MLA Manoj Yadav attended meetings of a House committee between February 1 and 25,2008,he claimed travel allowance for visiting Bhubaneswar,Bangalore and Delhi during the same period.
