Erabot casts fund misuse slur against Henry
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 07 2021: Continuing his scathing attack on ex-MLA O Henry, Wangkhei MLA Y Erabot on Monday raised suspicion of possible misappropriation of multi-crore fund by the ex-MLA in the name of upgrading Anganwadi Centres when Henry was the minister of social welfare.

MLA Erabot along with social welfare director Ng Uttam paid a field visit to some Anganwadi centres in Wangkhei AC, whose names were in the list of centres sanctioned for upgrade.

During his visit, the MLA noted that none of the Anganwadi centres have been upgraded recently and the Anganwadi workers also did not have any knowledge of upgrading their respective centres.

Speaking to the media, Erabot recounted that the former minister had released huge fund for upgrade of 10 Anganwadi centres in Wangkhei AC when he was the social welfare minister.

Moreover, there is suspicion of Henry misappropriating huge fund meant for construction of 14 Anganwadi Centres in the constituency alone.

When he was the minister, Henry took administrative approval and expenditure sanction for upgradation of 1000 Anganwadi centres under Registrar of Cooperative Society's engineering department Technical and Promotion (TP) Cell Hill-1 on October 14, 2020.Sanction cost for the 1000 centres was Rs 20 crore at the rate of Rs 2 lakh for each centre.

He also sanctioned Rs 45 crore for construction of 1000 Anganwadi Centres at the cost of Rs 4.5 lakh per centre.

Henry initiated the process by making work programme and upgradation of 10 centres and new construction of 14 centres in Wangkhei AC were among the 2000 centres sanctioned by him.

Henry had released first phase of the fund for Wangkhei AC but no work is seen on the ground so far, Erabot claimed, adding that based on the findings in Wangkhei AC, there is strong suspicion of the former minister misappropriating the multi-crore fund for the 2000 Anganwadi centres.

Meanwhile, social welfare director Ng Uttam said that he participated in the visit on the MLA's request.

TP Cell of Registrar of Cooperative Societies is the implementing agency for upgradation of 10 Anganwadi Centres in Wangkhei AC.

He, however, said that the question of fund withdrawal will be known only after getting a report from the TP Cell.

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