Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 29:
Deriding the clarification issued by the Government over the 10 percent allegations, the Manipur Hills and Plain Contractors Association today mockingly said that they are ready to donate their dud Rs 100 crore cheques to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
In a statement issued to the press today, the Contractors said that though the former Works Minister and SPF Spokesman has clarified on the matter pertaining to the 10 percent allegations, the good Minister has failed to address the question of why some contractors have not been able to encash their cheques.
Mounting the offensive against the Government, the statement further questioned why permission has been granted to some select contractors to encash their cheques.
The statement further said that while bills issued in March this year were not allowed to be encashed, bills issued later in April and June were allowed to be encashed for certain contractors.
"Why this double standard?" countered the contractors.
Taking pot shots at the Government's declaration that the it is judiciously utilizing the fund, the contractors asked whether banning their cheques from being encashed is also part of this drive to judiciously use public fund.
The statement also reminded that the bills were issued when there was no RBI ban and when there was no over draft.
How does the Government explain this discrepancy, asked the statement.
Any information relating to the cheques which bounced which were encashed can be obtained from the banks concerned, said the statement and urged the ban authorities to explain to the public how some of the bills were encashed.
The Chief Minister has been publicly maintaining that he is always available for any talk, however the truth stands that the CM cancelled four scheduled appointments with the contractors, they charged and questioned the Chief Minister on this count.