Cong alleges misuse of Rs 8.29 cr PMCSY fund, demands action
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 01 2022:
Alleging that Rs 8.29 crore had been withdrawn without executing PMGSY project of Galkapot to Gamhui road under Thanlon sub-division in Churachandpur district, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president MLA K Meghachandra has demanded the government to take up appropriate actions against those involved-in the scam.
An MPCC team led by MLA K Meghachandra visited the project site on October 31 early morning after receiving a complaint from Gangte Tribe Council.
Copies of the same complaint letter were also submitted to the chief minister and the RD&PR minister.
Upon reaching the project site, the team found no sign of any road project taken up along the road, which is located at a distance of around 228 km from Imphal.
During the visit, they also found mismatch between the completion certificate issued by the chief engineer and the signboard installed there, he said.
The MPCC president recounted that the chief engineer had issued completion certificate for the PMGSY project Part 2 and 3 for the road stretch from Galkapot to Gamhui in 2020 following which an amount of Rs 8.29 crore was withdrawn.
The project was executed by a contractor called M Dama Vaiphei.
As per the completion certificate, geo tagging was also initiated by the department officials, he said.
Maintaining that RD&PR department has become a hub of scam, the Congress MLA said that the finding is in addition to the earlier Rs 1700 crore scam brought up by Congress.
He further said that senior officials of the department and contractors have been misappropriating huge fund sanctioned by the ministry in almost all the hill districts of the state.
The particular PMGSY project has three packages and blacktopping was carried out only for package 1, which Was also found to be of sub-standard quality.
As for the package 2 and 3, shingling works for about two kilometres were executed before withdrawing the fund, he said.
Even though the government is claiming to take a strict stand against corruption, several scams are being unfolded one by one, he said while terming it as a daylight robbery by tne BJP government.
He demanded the minister concerned to inspect the project site while offering to bear the travel cost and also dared the minister to suspend the chief engineer and other officials involved.
Moreover, the minister concerned should resign on moral ground if he is found involved in the scam, Meghachandra maintained.
He also contended that considering the situation in the hill districts, it is safe to assume that the government's Go to Hills mission has failed to achieve its objectives.
At the same time, it is unfortunate for the government to remain silent over the matter despite receiving complaints from the public, he said.
The president affirmed that MPCC will stand and fight for the public and they will bring up the matter to the Prime Minister and the union minister concerned if it is required.
On the other hand, local residents of Galkapot village and representatives of Gangte Tribe Council strongly condemned the corrupt act of the department in releasing fund without executing the work.
They also said that villagers of the area are still deprived of benefits of different welfare schemes like CMHT/PMJAY cards, LPG connections among others.
Besides, the government primary school at Galkapot village is lying defunct in the absence of teachers, they said while drawing attention of the government.
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