'TD Department misappropriates '6 cr public fund'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 15 2011:
The Tribal Development (TD) Department which looks after the welfare of tribals in the state has been accused by the Movement for Tribal People's Rights Manipur (MTPRM) of fund embezzlement to the hefty tune of nearly ' 6 crore of public money, and has demanded "transparency and justice" in the department from Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who also holds additional charge of the department.
The tribal rights body has expressed "serious concern over the misappropriation of ' 5.95 crore under Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan for the year 2010-11 in the state TD department" .
The TD department has already withdrawn ' 3.64 crore from the ' 4 crore public coffers purportedly for the implementation of agricultural and horticultural schemes using "fictitious and bogus" beneficiaries, said MTPRM general secretary, Th Lupheng on Friday.
Another ' 2.31 crore has also been withdrawn for 'aid' to voluntary organizations, tribal weavers and artisans, using the same modus operandi, he said, adding that the department is not able to produce the beneficiary lists even as the APR lists are still missing.
MTPRM also alleged that post matric scholarship (PMS) for SC/ST students have also been misappropriated by the TD Department, leading to non-payment of the same till today.
Given the allegation of fund embezzlement against the department, MTPRM has urged Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to conduct a physical verification of the beneficiaries and to institute a high level inquiry into the allegation to bring about transparency and justice in the conduct of the department.