ATSUM team inspects projects
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2016 :
All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) has said that they have received many complaints from different parts of the State regarding non-implementation of minor irrigation projects which are supposed to be taken up under Central Govern-ment's Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) at the district level.
An ATSUM team led by its education secretary Love-joy Shimrah and finance secretary Andria visited Khoupum valley in Tameng-long district along with a team of media persons yesterday.
During the inspection tour, the team detected that most of the projects were not implemented properly.
At Taorempung in Khou-pum valley, nothing could be visible for the sanctioned irrigation project.
On the other hand, the quality of the construction works taken up for a project at Longkhoi was so poor.
Moreover, the project is yet to benefit the farmers/villagers as it is located at a low-lying area.
Lovejoy Shimrah said that the Central Government sanctioned 165 projects under AIBP from 2009 to 2013.Now many villagers have complained to ATSUM that these projects had not been implemented properly in most cases, he said.
As such, the union decided to conduct inspection tours to different districts to ascertain the ground realty, Lovejoy said.
He further said that the video clips and photographs taken during these tours would be submitted to the Union Water Resources Ministry for action against the erring officials concerned.
He also said that the union would also submit a report to the anti-corruption cell of CBI for a thorough investigation.
In Taorempung, he said, there is no visible work for the project reportedly implemented with an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh.
However, the officials concerned had reported to the State Minor Irrigation Department that the project had been commissioned, he said.
Lovejoy further said that the Minor Irrigation Department must be held responsible for misusing crores of rupees which had been sanctioned for these projects.
Former member of Taorempung Village Authority, B Lantonglung said that he never knew about sanctioning an irrigation project by the Government for his village.
He heard about the project only after the ATSUM team enquired about it, Lantonglung said.
He further said that the villagers had once requested the Government to construct a dam at the village.