MPP questions credibility on inquiry into assets of ministers & MLAs
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 18 2011: The Manipur People's Party (MPP), who had hailed the government's step to inquire into the assets of ministers and MLAs by a cabinet sub-committee has however raised a question mark on the credibility of the sub-committee because its members are appointed from among the ministers of the SPF government.

Declaration of assets of ministers and MLAs of the SPF government, including the assets of Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh was a long pending demand of the party, a statement of the MPP asserted adding that everybody had knowledge of the Union Government's efforts to introduce the Lokpal bill in the parliament.

The step being initiated by the state government to inquire into the assets of ministers and MLAs by a four-member cabinet sub-committee might have been taken as a step to showcase the sincerity of the SPF government.

But when the members of the sub-committee are all from ministers of the SPF ministry, MPP questions the credibility of the government's step.

The move of the government is like asking a thief to catch a thief.

The statement asked who will judge when a thief is caught by a thief.

MPP feels that it is a strategy of the SPF government to woo voters in the May 25 IMC election.

The inquiry ought to have been done by an investigative agency and not by incumbent ministers.

If the SPF government is sincere to serve the people, then the cabinet ministers who are the members of the cabinet sub-committee should first declare their assets along with the assets of their family members and close relatives.

Otherwise the MPP will assume the step is being taken up by the government only to woo the voters in the IMC election.

The MPP assumes that the Congress has announced the initiative to avoid defeat in the IMC polls recalling the humiliating defeat of the Congress candidate in the Konthoujam by-election held some months back and also to shield its mistake of keeping the IMC under suspension for over six months with the alleged hidden agenda of siphoning huge funds sanctioned to the council for development projects.

The suspension if the IMC was revoked when the Congress leaders came to know that the funds released for the urban development under JnRUM could not be utilized without the consent of the elected urban body.

Still the Congress is trying its best to dominate the IMC by its nominees with the intention that if the IMC is ruled by the party, they could suspend the council at any time when enough funds were released from the Centre, the MPP observes in its statement.

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