Chandel bodies cry foul
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 06 2012: Accusing Block Development Officer (BDO), Khengjoy (chandel district) Md Nazimuddin Shah of dereliction of duty and alleged misuse of NREGS fund, Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Khengjoy Block and Thadou Students' Association (TDA), Chandel district have submitted a joint memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding termination of the said BDO from service.

The allegations were levelled against the BDO at a news conference convened today at Manipur Press Club and jointly addressed by Chandel unit TSA president Thongkhovum Khongsai and Khengjoy unit KSO vice president Ngamsei Touthang.

According to Thongkhovum, in the past 10 years since assuming charge as Khengjoy BDO, Md Nazimuddin seldom attends to official work at his place of posting but has virtually transformed his Khergao residence in Imphal East district as the BDO office.

For any matter that entails approval or signature of the BDO, people of Khengjoy have to meet the official at his private residence, claimed the TSA president.

While people of 34 villages under Khengjoy Block suffer untold miseries and endure severe inconveniences whenever there is need for official processes the BDO continues to enjoy homely comfort and official power as there no complaint from the side of the village chiefs for Nazimuddin has managed to corrupt some of village chiefs, he contended.

As the people no longer wish to tolerate such indifferent attitude and misuse of power by the BDO, a complaint memorandum has been submitted today to the Chief Minister, Thongkhovum informed.

Apart from accusing the officer of derelicting duty, the joint representation pointed to the CM that Md Nazimuddin has been deducting 5 percent out of the MGNREGS fund provided to Khengjoy Block for the last five years which amounts to over Rs 1.67 crores.

At the time of disbursing NREGS entitlements to beneficiaries/village chiefs, BDO Nazimuddin insist that the recipients sign on blank cheques/papers and threatens to withhold the payment in case someone enquires on the exact amount of benefit.

Informing that the said BDO provided Sony Digital Camera (DSC-W630) to each of the village chiefs for later deduction of the price from the village NREGS fund, the memo highlighted that contrary to Rs 13,000 cited as price of each camera by the BDO the market price of the same item was found to Rs 8990 at Imphal (Paona Bazar) and Rs 7990 as per company (website) rate.

Thus, the BDO profited by about Rs 7.40 lakhs from the distribution of camera.

Expressing that Nazimuddin has desecrated sanctity of BDO office by transforming the same into a business enterprise and consequently denying Khengjoy Block citizens their rights, the joint memorandum demanded sacking of the officer within December 15, never release fund meant for Khengjoy through him and issue order that Nazimuddin refund the entire amount he had misused or deducted from NREGS beneficiaries.

In case there is no positive response from the Government of Manipur on the matter, the student bodies threatened to launch intense agitation against the Government.

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