Rao dubs Ibobi as 'leader of looters'
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 03 2012: Coming out strongly against various cases of alleged siphoning off of funds meant for general public of Manipur by Chief minister O Ibobi, including the much talked about 'Loktak Lake scandal' amounting to Rs 224 crores, P Chandrashekhar Rao who is the Zonal Organisational Secretary (In-charge of North East), BJP has dubbed Chief Minister O Ibobi as 'leader of looters' .

Chandrashekhar Rao was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Loktak Lake to inspect the works of clearing the phumdis being taken up by K-Pro Pvt Ltd under the supervision of Loktak Development Authority (LDA) today.

The BJP leader was shocked to find the manner of executing the works K-Pro.

He also met the people of Thanga where he was flooded with complains and grievances.

Chandrashekhar Rao informed that BJP has already raised the scandal over Loktak lake Management & Conservation Project being taken up under SPA funding of Rs 224 crores.

The amount has been sanctioned and released by Planning Commission of India for the purpose of clearance of Phumdis from Loktak Lake.

However, Chief Minister O Ibobi and his government has awarded the work to an incompetent Company which goes under the name of K-Pro Infra Works Ltd.

Consequently, fishermen have been evicted from their floating huts and deprived of livelihood in the name of removing Phumdis from Loktak lake.

All these have been carried out in a hush-hush manner by LDA with instruction from Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, he alleged.

Asserting the beauty of Loktak lake has been eroded to a large extend despite pumping huge amount of fund for clearance of Phumdis and beautifying the lake, Chandrashekhar Rao said that the fund to improve the condition of the lake has not been utilized in the way it should be.

Chief Minister O Ibobi has managed to award the tender to his own agency so as to clinch his share, he alleged.

Continuing his tirade, Chandrashekar Rao observed that the Chief Minister has managed in a very tactful manner to make the tender of the project as a 'single tender' .

Moreover, the tender notification of LDA breached the CPWD norms, which clearly states that publicity should be made in English and National language.

Questioning how Rs 3.76 crores sanctioned for cutting and towing away of the Phumdis within a distance of 300 metres had been utilized when no such work could be visible during his inspection visit today, the BJP leader pointed out that another Rs 26.8 crores was meant for providing the best quality bamboos for keeping Lake clean.

He also enquired how Rs 121 crores had been used only for the transportation and removal of Phumdis.

The difference between the exact work area to be covered and the work claimed to have been executed by K-Pro is highly contradictory.

It clearly shows that the work has been manipulated, Chandrashekhar Rao alleged.

He informed that BJP has raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha following which the Central Government has sought a detailed report from the State Government recently.

Demanding the present status report on Loktak lake Phumdis Clearance Project given to K-Pro Pvt Ltd by the State Government; Chandrashekar Rao suggested that the government should form an enquiry committee headed by a Sitting Supreme Court Judge with a special auditor from the CAG so that the promoters of K-Pro Pvt Ltd including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Minister for Forest and Environment, the then Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Finance) and other officials could be made accountable.

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