Oppn rolls up sleeves over Rs 7,67,800 : 18 walk out of IMC meeting
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 30 2018:
Altogether 18 Corporators of Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) walked out.of a meeting held today which was chaired by MayorL Lokeshore.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club this afternoon, IMC Opposition leader Tourangbam Indrajit said that a normal meeting of the IMC was held today.
In addition to resolutions adopted with respect to agenda discussed in earlier meetings of the IMC, extra resolutions were inserted and copies of the same resolutions were distributed during today's meeting.
On seeing the resolution copies, 18 Corporators walked out of the meeting, Indrajit said.
IMC Opposition deputy leader Gaidon Gangmei alleged that the Mayor and the Commissioner have been misleading the Corporators.
Even though IMC has its own dozer and excavator, a financial statement was tabled in the last meeting saying that Rs 7,67,800 was expended in hiring the same machinery from private owners, Gaidon Gangmei said.
It is a tradition and convention that the monthly expenditure of IMC should be sanctioned with due approval of the House.
But the Mayor and Commissioner have been utilising funds at their fancy and whim since Dec last year till date without obtaining any approval of the House.
According to the IMC's guidelines, the Mayor and the DDO have discretionary power of up to Rs 10,000 only.
But several crores have been spent during the past five months without obtaining approval of the House, Gaidon Gangmei alleged.
The 18 Corporators would draft a complaint letter tomorrow and the same would be sent to the CBI, he said.
Expenditure statement of the Manipur Sangai Festival 2017 could not be furnished till date.
Since the past many years, the IMC authority is still unable to furnish lists of muster roll staff, contract staff and workers hired for a period of 100 days.
The 18 Corporators walked out of the meeting as a token of protest against the State Government's inaction to such irregularities which has been promising every now and then they would bring good governance and accountability, Gaidon Gangmei added.