CM feigning ignorance, claims Kh Joykisan : 27th jun19 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

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CM feigning ignorance, claims Kh Joykisan
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 26 2019: Even though Chief Minister N Biren promptly ordered an enquiry into the withdrawal of huge amount of money from Power and Works Departments when the Lok Sabha election model code of conduct was in force apart from relieving Th Biswajit of the charges of two departments and Y Joykumar of Finance Department, the Chief Minister has been feigning ignorance of some serious discrepancies which happened right in front of his eyes, alleged Congress spokesman Kh Joykisan.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, Joykisan said that Congress party hailed the enquiry instituted by the State Government after it ran into overdraft.

However Manipur Infrastructure Development Agency (MIDA) had given permission to start construction of Institute of Hotel Management at Yaralpat, Imphal East without issuing any work order or holding any e-tender.

Notably, the Chief Minister is the Chairman of MIDA, he said and added that the way the institute is being constructed evokes serious suspicion of possible misappropriation of public money.

The MIDA Chief Engineer clarified that e-tender process is underway and they have been working to hold restricted tender with due permission of the authority concerned.

But the Chief Engineer's clarification only made the matter more confusing and it smacked of an attempt to project the wrong as right and vice versa, asserted the Congress spokesman.

Asking how execution of the contract work was allowed without issuing any work order while the tender process is still incomplete, Joykisan asserted that as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, he is duty-bound to check misuse of public funds.

For construction of the Institute of Hotel Management, Ministry of Tourism at first sanctioned Rs one crore which was followed by Rs 3.11 crore after submission of utilisation certificate, Joykisan said.

He then asked how and where the first instalment of Rs one crore was utilised and if any cheque was issued in the name of any contractor.

Citing the MIDA Chief Engineer's clarification that they have been working to hold restricted tender with due permission of the authority concerned, Joykisan asked who is the 'authority concerned'.

As Chief Minister N Biren had declared in public that he is not interested in contract works, the Chief Minister ought to take up befitting action against officials committing all kinds of discrepancies and wrongdoings within MIDA, Joykisan said.

He alleged that a Congress MLA was appointed vice-chairman of MIDA rather than any of the BJP MLAs because the Chief Minister knew that the BJP MLAs are not competent enough.

As they think that BJP cannot survive without Congress, one Congress MLA was invited and given Ministerial portfolio, he continued.

Certain work programmes of 2018-19 have not been given administrative approval till date despite all the efforts of the ex-Works Minister which implied that the Chief Minister has some misgivings, Joykisan remarked.

He then appealed to the Chief Minister to give administrative approval to the pending work programmes as he has taken charge of Works Department.

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