House passes Appropriation Bill sans Oppn Members
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2020: The Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2020 was passed by the State Assembly today without a single Opposition Member after the Speaker turned down the Opposition Members' demand to constitute a House committee to enquire into the alleged irregularities committed in the process of purchasing and distributing water pump-sets by Agriculture Department to farmers.

As Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2020 was discussed in the House, Kh Joykisan asserted that Agriculture Department committed gross irregularities in the process of purchasing and distributing water pump-sets to farmers.

He then suggested the House to constitute a committee and ascertain whether irregularities were committed or not.

Replying to Joykisan, Agriculture Minister V Hangkhanlian said that Agriculture Department purchased 30 water pump-sets in 2018 and 100 in 2019 .

As the State was facing a drought like situation last year, 143 other water pump-sets purchased by MOBC in 2016 were also utilised by Agriculture Department at the suggestion of the Chief Minister, Hangkhanlian said.

A meeting convened by Chief Minister N Biren on July 1, 2019 decided to purchase the 143 water pump-sets at the rate fixed by the MOBC tender committee in view of the pressing situation.

The same decision was also approved by the Finance Department, Hangkhanlian said.

However, Joykisan pointed out that it was told in response to a starred question that the water pump-sets were purchased on October 9, 2018 whereas the Agriculture Minister was saying that approval for purchasing the water pump-sets were given at the meeting convened by the Chief Minister on July 1, 2019.Joykisan went on to ask as to how the water pump-sets were purchased without holding any tender.

Even if it was an emergency situation, restricted tender could have been done.

There is a list of beneficiaries to whom the 130 water pump-sets purchased in 2018 and 2019 were distributed but the list does not contain names of those beneficiaries to whom the water pump-sets purchased from MOBC were distributed, Joykisan said.

It sounds rather ridiculous that water pump-sets were purchased in 2018, one year before the State was hit by drought, he remarked.

He then demanded an enquiry into the matter by a House Committee.

Clarifying to Joykisan's observations, Chief Minister N Biren said that desperate situation like natural calamity demands desperate measures.

It is acceptable that it was an emergency situation and there was no fund.

But purchasing water pump-sets without holding tender is unacceptable, Joykisan said.

The total water pump-sets purchased by Agriculture Department was 173 but 143 are missing, Joykisan said.

As Joykisan pointed out V Hangkhanlian's earlier assurance that relevant documents would be tabled in the House, the Agriculture Minister offered to table the relevant documents including the list of beneficiaries then and there.

Hangkhanlian also said that there is no harm in constituting a House committee to probe into the matter.

Joykisan, while pointing out the readiness of the concerned Minister on constituting a House committee, insisted on setting up such a committee.

At this point, Speaker Y Khemchand asserted that he has no authority to constitute a House committee without a consensus of the House as per the rules of proceeding.

He then sought suggestion from the leader of the House.

Chief Minister N Biren suggested that the matter may be cut short there as it is not a very big issue.

As their demand for constitution of a House committee was rejected, all Opposition MLAs including Joykisan walked out of the House.

Later the Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill was passed in the absence of Opposition Members.

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