Imphal, March 21: Mention of 'percentage cut' during discussion of a call attention motion raised in the Assembly today by two senior Opposition members who insinuated that the land belonging to Manipur measuring an area of 4.25 acres at Gurgaon in Haryana might have been sold off just ahead of the election, rattled Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh who responded with seething anger and dared to resign from his post if anybody can provide evidences in this connection.

Drawing the attention of the Chief Minister, Radhabinod Koijam and O Joy raised the call attention motion while insinuating whether the said land may have been sold off to a private company known as Adani Export based at Allahabad in a hasty manner for some 'percentage cut'.

Radhabinod, who is also the leader of the Opposition contended leasing out the land measuring 4.25 acres which the State Government had bought for the purpose of setting up a performing art centre at Gurgaon, the industrial area of Haryana , at an estimated cost of around Rs 34 lakhs for about 50 years in a hasty manner just before the election to a private company amounts to selling it off.

It should also be viewed as violation of the Election Code of Conduct, he charged.

Since the State Government has the habit of selling off its land located in other parts of the country, there is serious apprehension that the land at Gurgaon too have been sold off by the Government, he said adding 'this is akin to looting public fund'.

Apprehension is all the more stronger as the SPF Government is already infamous for its of 10 percent cut tag, he added.

Leasing out the land whose current market value might be around Rs 600 to 800 crores that too for 50 years to a private company is nothing short of selling off the same and the agreement should be revoked at once in the in the interest of the public, Radhabinod said.

O Joy demanded to know what the State Government is going to gain from leasing out the land to a private export company located at Allahabad for 50 years.

In response to the call attention motion, a visibly angry Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, specially at the mention of the percentage cut, dared to relinquish his post immediately if any person can provide adequate evidences to prove that his SPF Government had or has ever taken 'percentage' for appointment in Government jobs, allotment of portfolio or in any other works.

The Chief Minister further explained that the said land in question at Gurgaon was bought at the time of late RK Joychandra as the Chief Minister of Manipur in 1990.Though intended for setting up a performing art institute, the land could not be developed for so long as there is no fund at the disposal of the State Government.

The Haryana Government has even threatened to cancel the agreement of the land 1994.But it was after the intervention of the then Governor of Manipur that the said land was retained.

The State Government had not taken any decision to sell off the land nor has any intention of doing so nor it would ever part with the land, the Chief Minister stated firmly.

The Chief Minister further clarified that the State Government does not known anything about the Adani Company.

However, in the interest of developing the said land the Government had discussed the option of leasing out 50 percent of the land to a private partnership but nothing has been finalised on this matter so far.

Leasing out the land to the private partnership does not meant selling the land.

Rent has to be charged and the amount of the rent would be increased every year.

So an income of Rs 5 to 10 crores could be generated from such arrangement, he explained.

On the remaining 50 percent of the land, an auditorium of the proposed performing art centre would be constructed.

The land at Gurgaon is under GAD and any interested parties may take a look at the relevant documents of the said land at the chamber of the Speaker, the Chief Minister offered.

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