Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 22:
Movement for Tribal People Rights, Manipur (MTPRM) and All Colleges Tribal Students' Organisation, Manipur (ACTSOM) have taken serious note of alleged cases of corruption and misutilisation of fund in the Tribal Development Department.
Detailing the findings of the two organisations in a joint statement, MTPRM general secretary AS Johnson and ACTSOM president ML Haokip asserted that a sum of Rs 2.53 crores sanctioned by the Central Government for construction of roads and bridges in the hill districts had lapsed due to incompetence and corruption in the TD Department.
There is also strong reason to suspect that the State's share of fund amounting to several lakhs of rupees has landed in the pockets of some officials of the Department and the Minister concerned , the joint statement further alleged.
It further alleged that another Rs 50 crores sanctioned under the 11th Finance Commission for construction of school buildings within the Autonomous District Council had also suffered the same fate.
So far, only 10 Kucha school buildings have been constructed but the remaining fund disappeared mysteriously, the two bodies said, and demanded an immediate and honest clarification from the concerned Minister on this matter.
Though the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST students have been sanctioned in other North Eastern States, the case of Manipur is totally different, the joint statement noted, and demanded release of the scholarship amount as soon as possible before the SC/ST students hit the street.