Oken gives clean chit to Phumdi clearing
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 18 2012: Amid reports by both print and electronic media suggesting irregularities in the clearance of floating bio-masses (Phumdis) from Loktak Lake, Government spokesperson M Okendro, who also holds the Education portfolio has dismissed the reports as speculative.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Okendro asserted that there is no irregularity in entrusting the project to K Pro as the work agency for all the prescribed norms of Central PWD had been adhered to.

As K Pro was the only work agency that responded to the Government tender on the project there is no question of violating any parameter and as such K Pro rightly deserved to be assigned the task, he said while explaining that the Government has nothing to do with where the company is based but to ascertain capability of the company to execute the assigned task.

The Planning Commission of India, under whose initiative the phumdi clearance project is being implemented, has been periodically monitoring the same and had so far expressed satisfaction on progress of the project, claimed the Minister.

Since the launch/implementation of the project there had been significant positive changes in the overall scenario of the lake, he said and suggested that the media conduct a first hand inspection exercise.

With regard to allegations by Opposition political parties that there had been widespread irregularities in the allotment of contract, Okendro not only dismissed the accusations as baseless and wild imagination but termed the comments as a testimony of Opposition parties unwilling to accept successful implementation of various welfare programmes by the Congress Government.

Maintaining that 83 percent of phumdi clearance as well as the Lake's restoration activities have been completed, the Minister reiterated that the project is progressing at an appreciable pace.

On being pointed out that the State Government constituted a committee of officers contrary to demands by both political parties and NGOs for investigation by the CBI, he said that the committee is yet to place its report to the Government.

Moreover, out of the total of Rs 224 crores for the project, the Government of Manipur has released Rs 144 crores to K Pro work agency, added the Minister.

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