Financial situation in dire strait, every citizen has debt of Rs 66000 each : MLA Karam Shyam steps down as Tourism Chairman
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 17 2023: Close on the heels of MLA Th Radheshyam's resignation from the post of Advisor to the Chief Minister, another BJP MLA Karam Shyam has tendered his resignation from the post of Chairman, Tourism Corporation of Manipur Limited.

Karam Shyam submitted his resignation letter to Chief Minister N Biren today.

Karam Shyam wrote that he has been constrained to resign from the post of Tourism Corporation Chairman as he was not entrusted with any responsibility or duty so far.

The same resignation letter went viral on the social media today.

Explaining his decision to resign from the post of Chairman, Tourism Corporation of Manipur Limited, Karam also sent a video clip to the press.

MLA Karam Shyam steps down as Tourism Chairman

In the video clip, Karam Shyam said that the most important attribute of a leader is sacrificial spirit and no leader would last long if he/she does not embody some sacrificial spirit.People easily know whether a leader is speaking the truth or lies.

If a leader is accustomed to speaking lies or falsehoods, the leader would definitely lose his/her credibility, Shyam said.

If the people do not trust a leader, he/she will not be able to govern a State for long.

A public leader should be committed and he must keep his words.

The leader should treat his colleagues with love and cordiality, he said.

The leader should not threaten his colleagues and followers.

If the leader tends to undermine and suppress his colleagues, it is only natural for the colleagues to stand up against him, Shyam said.

The BJP MLA said that the State's financial situation has fallen in a very sorry state.

As the State's economy has run into deficits of several crores, the Government has been taking soft loans and the interest is being paid from the State's budget, he said.

At present, every citizen of Manipur owes over Rs 66,000 and the Government is unable to pay old age pension, he said.

Saying that the MLAs were elected after working very hard, Karam Shyam asserted that the leader ought to acknowledge this fact.

The incumbent Government led by Chief Minister N Biren did not sanction a single rupee to the MLAs for taking up any development work during the financial years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.As a result, people have been berating their respective MLAs, he continued.

It has been said that corruption has been eradicated from the State but corruption or bribery is something which is known only to the giver and the taker.

People know very well whether there is corruption or not in the State, Shyam said.

He said that one individual cannot simply check or eradicate corruption but it should be checked through systematic reformation and sound policies.

In a disturbing incident which amounted to deceiving the departed forefathers, N Biren during his first term as the Chief Minister of Manipur made an announcement at Langthabal at a death anniversary function of Maharaj Gambhir Singh that a list of 72 kings of Manipur would be displayed on the wall of the memorial complex.

But the announcement has not been put into action till date, Shyam said.

"I reminded about the announcement to the Chief Minister himself at the beginning of his second term but he brushed aside my reminder quite nonchalantly", Shyam said in his video clip.

"As the Government has been sleeping over the Chief Minister's announcement which is tantamount to insulting the departed heroes and martyrs of Manipur, I stayed away from this year's Maharaj Gambhir Singh death anniversary (January 9)", he continued.

A small cafeteria was constructed near the memorial complex of Maharaj Gambhir Singh at Langthabal at the cost of Rs 30 lakh and it was rather ludicrous that the contract work of constructing the cafeteria was allotted to a relative/friend of the Chief Minister, Shyam said.

Saying that he could not raise any question or issue during the State Assembly sessions on account of his position as the Chairman of Tourism Corporation of Manipur, Karam Shyam said that he is stepping down from the same post so that he can participate in debating several issues in the House.

Tourism Corporation managed to obtain several projects worth thousands of crores but the funds sanctioned for these projects were made to be deposited with Manipur Police Housing Corporation, he said.

Even though the tourism sector is said to be a very promising economic sector in the country, the Tourism Corporation of Manipur is not allowed to take up any initiative or project although there are two engineers and two finance officers in the corporation and the Chairman is not given any right, he decried.

"Although I was determined to work with dedication for the development of the State's tourism potential, not a single work was entrusted to me.

I requested the Chief Minister four times to make the Tourism Corporation its own work agency but the Chief Minister turned down the request", he said.

While one agency has been working hard to obtain approval and necessary funds for different projects, another agency is entrusted to execute all these projects/works, he continued.

The last edition of Manipur Sangai Festival was held at around 14 venues but the Tourism Corporation was not shared a single information about these arrangements.

"Despite being the Chairman of Tourism Corporation, I was not given authority to allot a single stall to somebody.

I was made the Chairman just for name's sake", he decried.

"I was not given even a seat at the opening ceremony of the Manipur Sangai Festival 2022 which was opened by Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy.

As I sat in the back row, the Tourism Commissioner signalled the Director to call me to the front.

It was a humiliating experience and I was not given any chance to speak a single word", he lamented.

The BJP MLA said that he was again denied any opportunity to deliver a speech at another event of the same festival held at BOAT on the second day (November 22) with the Governor as chief guest, the Chief Minister as president and himself as guest of honour.

"Even though I'm not in charge of any Government position or post, I will continue to work for the party as well as the people of Langthabal AC," he added.