Cops raid MSPCL MD's house; MSPDCL MD junks report
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 24 2022:
As part of the investigation into a Lokayukta case related to construction of 33/11 KV power sub-station at Chakpikarong in Chandel district, Kakching district police conducted raid at the residence of Manipur State Power Corporation Limited (MSPCL) managing director Nandeibam Sarat and MSPCL office on Monday morning.
Sources said the raid was conducted simultaneously under the supervision of Kakching SP Shreya Vats at the Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai of MSPCL MD N Sarat and MSPCL office at Keishampat.
Several documents related with the project were confiscated during the raid, sources added.
The project includes 45 km stringing of High Tension (HT) line from New Siang village of Chandel district near Kakching Khunou to the power sub-station at Chakpikarong.
The project, which was taken up at a total cost of Rs 9,45,80,600, began from 2009 and was completed in 2015 .
Instead of stringing HT line for 45 km, the company tapped the connection from Joupi village by stringing HT line for only 4 km.
After the matter came to light, a Lokayukta case was filed against the MD for alleged misappropriation of around Rs 5 crore, sources said.
Meanwhile, terming as baseless the news report carried by a local daily regarding swindling of more than Rs 200 crore, Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) managing director Ng Subhas has said that the report based on RTI reply was an attempt to tarnish the image and prestige of the company.
The news report was totally baseless and without any evidence as was evident from the news itself, Ng Subhas told media persons during a press conference held at Secure Office complex, here on Monday.
He said that Saubhagya scheme launched by the Central government has no room for manipulation as the Government of India appoints a third party through Regional Electrification Corporation to monitor the scheme.
The third party randomly inspects projects being undertaken under the scheme and accordingly sanctions fund, he said and strongly condemned the news report alleging MSPDCL of swindling of more than Rs 200 crore.
While maintaining that majority of the contents of the news report was not true and baseless, Ng Subhas said that the sanctioned cost of the project is Rs 181.05 crore only and the project closure approval is Rs 192.70 crore.
As such there is no chance of misappropriation of over Rs 200 crore as wrongly published by the local daily, he said.
Letter of Award (LOA) for Senapati district amounting Rs 42, 87,16,187 was first awarded on March 8, 2019 and the same LOA was again amended amounting to Rs 40,21,74,033 on March 11, 2019.Accordingly, the LOA for Senapati district was not updated, he pointed out.
The news report mentioned the amount sanctioned for the project as Rs 203,86,62,219 but the actual sanctioned amount was only Rs 181.05 crore and not as mentioned in the news report, Ng Subhas clarified.
Regarding the allegation in the report that annexure A of LOA was not furnished to the RTI applicant, the managing director explained that the RTI applicant was handed the annexure A at the office of state chief information commissioner on October 11, 2021 and told to collect the left-out documents, if any, through the commissioner or from MSPDCL.
Regarding the charge that the documents for procurement of 261 poles were not furnished to the applicant, he clarified that all relevant transport challan of 1,252 numbers of 8m ST pole was made available and provided to the RTI appellant.
The poles came with 7 different transport documents with different quantities.
Poles were procured in seven phases and the first phase procured 260 poles followed by 180 in second phase while 80 poles were procured in the third phase.
In the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phase the number of procurement was 195, 102, 175, and 260 respectively.
There was no transport document for 261 numbers of poles for which the news report mentioned is missing.
This shows that the news article was baseless, he asserted, while adding that invoices for supporting the transport challan with regard to Weasel Conductor and AB Cable are also available.
On the allegation of manipulation of supply materials and measurement book not in conformity with CPWD manuals, Ng Subhas reiterated that there is no room for manipulation anywhere and all the relevant documents are available.
Though the scheme has been closed, there is liability worth more than Rs 40 crore for firms which executed projects under the scheme, Ng Subhas said and rejected the allegation that bill amount of Rs.11,53,07,738 has been submitted and withdrawn for Thoubal district.
He maintained that bill amount of Rs 11,53,07,738 has neither been claimed nor withdrawn by the firm for Thoubal district.
The firms have submitted bills amounting to Rs 10,27,29,117 only and payment of Rs 9,51,58,087 only has been done till date.
Infrastructure work has been done in 84 villages of Thoubal district under Saubhagya scheme and completion documents signed by the Gram Panchayat/village authority are also available.
On the allegation that no work was taken up in the approved villages like Papal, Tekcham Chingya Leikai, Chingtham Leikai Tentha Khongban Mathak, Tentha Mayengching, Ng Subhas said works at Papal Laibung, Papal Maning Leikai, Tekcham Chinga Leikai, Tentha Khongban Mathak, Tentha Mayeng Ching have been completed and signatures of respective Gram Panchayat taken by the executing firm.
He also said that REC Limited, New Delhi has done their 3rd party RQM (REC Quality Monitoring) inspection in 100 villages chosen at random by REC.
All the works have been reported done and all the data are available online on REC Quality Assurance Portal.
Papal is also one of the villages in which inspection had been done which the local daily claimed that no work has been done.
Completion report and certificates are available, he said and warned that process for legal action may be initiated if the daily fails to clarify or tender apology within short notice.
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