Nearly Rs 70 lakh misappropriated by State Transport staff
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 20 2014:
Several staff members working under the Transport Department, Government of Manipur have allegedly misappropriated the sale proceeds of Railway tickets amounting to nearly Rs.70 lakhs by not remitting the same into the bank account of Railways in defiance of an MoU signed between the State Government represented by Commissioner (Transport) and the Ministry of Railways represented by Divisional Railway Manager, Maligaon, Assam.
According to a reliable source, the Secretary (Transport), Government of Manipur has been directed to initiate a Departmental Enquiry against Ph Bijenkumar Sharma, Deputy Director (Planning), Transport Department for his negligence and lack of supervision which led to the misappropriation.
The total amount misappropriated out of the Railway ticket sale proceeds is Rs 69, 82, 824 generated from operation of PRS/Railways during the period from 2009 to 2012 .
Sources said a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Manipur represented by the Commissioner (Transport) and Ministry of Railways represented by Divisional Railway Manager, Maligaon, Assam for setting up of PRS-Imphal and Churachandpur.
As per terms & conditions of the MoU, sale proceeds of Railway reservation tickets have to be deposited on the same day or next working day in the Railway Account opened at State Bank of India, Imphal Branch and Churachandpur Branch in Imphal and Churachandpur respectively.
From an enquiry constituted by the State Vigilance Commission, an amount of Rs 49, 72, 622 was found to have been not remitted to the concerned authority in respect of PRS-Imphal Centre during the period of January 1, 2009 to November 10, 2012.However, a sum of Rs 7, 32, 998 had been shown as office expenditure.
Subsequent enquiry revealed that Y Kennedy Singh (Machine Operator) of Nongmeibung Khanglapung, Imphal East and W Ranjit Singh (Manager) of Wangkhei Yonglan Leirak had misappropriated money collected by them from the sale of Railway tickets at Passenger Reservation, Imphal during the period from August 8, 2011 to November 4, 2012; the sources disclosed.
In respect of PRS-Churachandpur Centre, it was revealed that a sum of Rs 20, 10, 202 was not remitted to the concerned authority during the period of July 11, 2009 to December 31, 2012 .
The said amount was found to have been misappropriated by several staffs of PRS-Churachandpur Centre namely Y Kennedy Singh (Machine Operator) of Nongmeibung Khamlapung, Imphal East; I Dorendro Singh (Machine Operator) of Keishamthong Irom Pukhri Mapal, Imphal West; O Jadumani Singh (Supervisor) of Singjamei Chingamakha Kshetri Leikai and H Gyaneshor Singh (Supervisor) of Bamol Leikai Mange Makhong.
However, out of the said amount, a sum of Rs 81, 000 had been shown as office expenditure.
The enquiry observed that the staff of PRS have been indulging in the practice of non-remittance of sale proceed of rail ticket for many years which is due to the lack of supervision by the concerned /officers of Directorate of Transport, Government of Manipur.
During the relevant period, the functioning and operation of PRS/Railways was under Ph Bijenkumar Sharma, Deputy Director (Planning), Transport Department as per work allocation order dated January 7, 2008.As such, he is accountable for the said misappropriation of government money, the source maintained.
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