SHILLONG: In a curious move, the Ri-Bhoi district administration in 2010 valued the trees planted and nurtured by the Government at Rs 5.42 crore aimed at handing over the amount to the village illegally.

The argument of the district administration was that the trees were nurtured by the village.However, an audit observation in this regard said that “in view of fact that the trees on Mawpalai was raised by the Government, the payment of Rs 5,42,95,374 against the trees as valued by DC, Ri-Bhoi is thus irregular.”