Fraudulence mars Tamei development plan
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 29 2009: Rampant fraud and discrepancies have marred all infrastructure development initiatives at Tamei sub-divisional headquarters.

Wide incompatibility between the amount invested and the structures built, construction of guest house after misappropriating fund from different heads and suspension of market shed construction work after erecting some pillars are some of the irregularities plaguing Tamei headquarters.

Even though the SPF Government has been paying extra attention to the hill districts and investing crores of rupees accordingly to develop infrastructure in hill districts, there has been widespread suspicion whether the huge amounts invested in Tamei sub-division have gone into the pockets of a few influential people.

The market construction left at the pillar stage

Representatives of the recently formed People's Vigilance Forum, Tamei Kendra inspected the development works taken up at Tamei sub-divisional Hqs together with a team of mediapersons yesterday.

Among others, the inspection team included president of the vigilance forum Adabou Abonmai, former Minister Z Mangaibou and social worker Athon Abonmei.

Several irregularities and discrepancies were detected in the course of the inspection drive.

At first, construction work of the guest house at Tamei Hqs started with donations by people from their NREGS wages.

After this Rs four lakhs were invested in two phases from MP fund.

This was followed by Rs 25 lakhs from the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).

It was also discovered that several amounts were invested towards construction of the guest house from different heads.

For construction of a market shed at Tamei Hqs, Rs 15.12 lakhs was sanctioned from Development of Urban Infrastructure in Hill Areas.

Quoting a report of the Zeliangrong Students' Union, Tamei village chairman said that Rs 13 lakhs have been released.

On the other hand, the contractor has halted the construction work saying that no more fund was available.

Even as Rs 13 lakhs have been encashed, only a few pillars have been erected till date.

The incompatibility between the amount invested for construction of Nongmai High School building and the structure built was ostensibly visible.

Later speaking to media persons at Tamei Hqs, president of the People's Vigilance Forum, Tamei Kendra Adabou Abonmai said that Rs 30 lakhs have been sanctioned from BRGF anew for construction of Tamei market shed.

He noted that funds sanctioned for construction of the market shed have overlapped.

As the funds have overlapped, the amount of Rs 30 lakhs sanctioned anew should not be used in construction of the market shed.

It should be used in some other development work, Adabou said.

Provision of funds from heads for construction of the guest house was a serious as it enabled a few people to indulge in fraudulence and misappropriation of public fund.

The State Government and the concerned DC should look into such irregularities at the earliest, he said.

An amount of Rs 6.78 crores was released for Mautam management in Tamenglong district.

As there were several disputes and contestations and the DC unwilling to get involved, the amount was entrusted to the line department.

As the amount was distributed at the quarters of MLAs, only about 10 percent of the sanctioned reached people at the grassroots level.

The remaining 90 percent were either embezzled or misused, Adabou said while appealing to the relevant authority to investigate into the matter.

Saying that Agriculture Department would be releasing Rs 17 crores as drought relief for the drought affected people, he suggested that the amount may be distributed by forming committees at district level, village level and local level so that the amount reaches the targeted people in complete.

Complaining that all water supply schemes located in Tamei sub-division including the one inaugurated in March/April this year have failed, Adabou Abonmai appealed to the authority concerned to make all these failed water supply schemes functional at the earliest.