No CPWD manuals followed in awading contract work for road expansion from Singjamei to MU Gate
Joykishan BJP MLAs walk out over contract anomalies
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 23 2016: BJP MLAs Kh Joykishan and Th Bishwajit today walked out of the Manipur Legislative Assembly alleging large scale anomalies in the process of awarding contract works for expansion of road from Singjamei parking to Manipur University main gate and construction of parking lots in front of the Civil Secretariat complex, Chingmeirong.

Joykishan said that the CPWD manual was not followed in executing the two works.

Although funds required for the works were not incorporated in the budget, administrative approvals were granted and the contractors were allowed to execute the works without issuing work orders, Joykishan said.

Saying that he would not be part of such a wrongdoing, Joykishan walked out of the House and stayed away from passing the Supplementary Demand for Grants 2015-16 .

The expansion work underway at the Singjamei to MU Gate stretch

Chief Minister O Ibobi tabled Supplementary Demands for Grants pertaining to 35 different departments amounting to Rs 943,71,75,000 for the current financial year for due discussion and approval of the State Assembly.

Highlighting the State's limited resources, Joykishan called upon the Government to use the available funds judiciously.

Given the State's poor financial condition, it lacks rationale for the State Government to invest money on National Highways, he asserted.

He then asked how administrative approvals were granted for expansion of road from Singjamei parking to MU main gate and construction of parking lots beside Imphal-Dimapur National Highway in front of the Civil Secretariat, Chingmeirong when the money needed for executing the two works were not incorporated in the budget.

Only after the necessary funds are incorporated in the State budget, administrative approvals should be granted together with expenditure sanction followed by technical sanction.

Tender should be held after completing this process before issuing work orders, Joykishan elaborated.

He then questioned the Government as to why all these processes were skipped.

Replying to the BJP MLA, Chief Minister O Ibobi stated that administrative approvals could not be granted for any contract work if the necessary fund was not reflect in the budget.

However, if a little money was reflected in the budget, administrative approval could be granted.

Administrative approvals for the two particular contract works would not have been granted without incorporating any money in the budget, Even if the administrative approvals were granted, expenditures would be made only after the supplementary budget is passed.

Necessary funds would be released only after showing work progress.

No funds can be released if the work progress cannot be shown, Ibobi stated.

Apparently not convinced by the Chief Minister's explanation, Joykishan then asked how the contractors were allowed to start executing the contract works without any work orders.

Passing the Supplementary Demand for Grants while all the processes prescribed by CPWD manual were skipped would set a bad precedent in the history of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Joykishan contended and urged the House not to pass the supplementary demand.

This time the Chief Minister did not give any clarification and the Speaker initiated due proceedings to pass the demands one by one.

Before initiating due proceeding for passing the demand pertaining to the PWD, the Speaker asked Joykishan to withdraw his objection but the BJP MLA refused to yield.

Subsequently, the Speaker raised a proposal to pass the demand by voting.

At this, Joykishan said that the ruling party has more Members in the House.

He said that he would not be part of such a wrongdoing and walked out of the House.

Fellow BJP MLA Th Bishwajit too walked out of the House saying that he too would not take part in voting for the particular demand.

After this, the two BJP MLAs stayed away from today's Assembly session where the demands were passed.

While discussing the Supplementary Demand for Grants 2015-16, Chief Minister O Ibobi stated that the State Government has been focusing on schemes/projects sponsored by the Central Government, NEC, NLCPR etc as the State has limited resources.

In order to obtain next instalments of Central funds for different projects, the State Government should pay its matching shares and submit utilization certificates.

It is for this reason that the Supplementary Demand for Grants was tabled in the House, Ibobi stated.

Later the House passed the Supplementary Demand for Grants pertaining to 35 departments amounting to Rs 943,71,75,000 .