Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 08:
Even as the office of the Minorities and Other Backward Classes (MOBC) had in November last year handed out around Rs 33,000 forms to select 3981 beneficiaries under the Economic Development Programme for the year 2004-05, the Dept officials have not been able give any explicit answers on the details of the programme.
A number of EDP applicants were forced to return back home unaware of the progress for selecting beneficiaries after finding no notification on the matter at the Dept's office.
Nearly Rs three lakhs which were collected by the authorities through selling the forms had also not been deposited at the State Treasury till March 30 2005, a highly placed source in the Department told The Sangai Express.
The responsible officer who was supposed to deal the financial matters said he was not intimated at all for depositing the same amount to the Treasury office.
All the responsible officers who deal directly with the EDP are presently seated at the secretariat and not at their actual office and this has created a lot of difficulties to the large number of applicants, who are curious to know about the eligible list of the EDP programme.
Under the programme, Rs 461 lakhs had been earmarked for distributing tools and items for 20 different schemes including embroidery, blacksmithy, grocery and cycle rickshaw etc.
Interestingly, the Dept has cleared a huge amount out of the total of Rs 461 meant for the programme to different suppliers (Firms) for procuring the scheme items without selecting the beneficiaries.
One such firm dealt which with sewing machines had received a cheque of Rs 9 lakhs from the Directorate of MOBC dated March 31 2005, the source added.
However no such procured items are seen at the godowns of the MOBC.
The Joint Director of MOBC is also totally in the dark regarding the notification issued by the Dept for selecting eligible candidates.
He said he has not been intimated by the authorities on the matter and all files concerning the matter have not reached his office till today, he added.