Tamenglong, March 01 2009: Serious suspicion has been raised over whether an amount of Rs 1,55,56,700 released under the Indira Awaz Yojana for Tamenglong district for the fiscal 2008-09 had actually reached the intended beneficiaries or not.

Speaking to reporters at Hotel Airlines today, secretary of Tamenglong Public Forum, David Kamei said that a sum of Rs 1,55,56,700 was released under the IAY for Tamenglong in 2008-09 to construct 646 houses and to upgrade another 426 houses.

Addressing the media, Kamei alleged that when the then DC of Tamenglong Devesh Deval took a few days leave last year, the ADM, RH Gonmei took over as the DC in charge.

It was during this period, that a meeting of the DRDA was held on October 8 last year, said Kamei and added that the fund was released then.

The beneficiaries were selected by the DRDA officials during the meeting not according to the laid down guidelines, said Kamei though all the village chiefs submitted the permanent wait list of the poor people in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Government.

However not a single villager named listed by the village chiefs has been selected as a beneficiary, alleged Kamei.

The list of beneficiaries named by the DRDA officials include minor children, Government employees listed as BPL families and even names of non-existent persons, said Kamei.

As such there is strong suspicion whether the DRDA officials have misused the funds meant for the poor people by cooking up some bogus list of beneficiaries, he alleged further.

With suspicions growing stronger that the funds may have been misused the Tamenglong People's Forum has sent a legal notice on the DC-in-charge of Tamenglong, RH Gonmei, said the secretary of the Forum.

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