Let LS panel probe alleged scam: Joy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 03 2025:
A thorough investigation by a committee of the Lok Sabha has been sought into the report published by the India Today North East on September 26, 2025 regarding the alleged Manipur Legislative Assembly scam of Rs 29 crore.
Veteran politician Okram Joy today sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and sought constitution of a Lok Sabha committee to probe the alleged scam of Rs 29 crore which was allegedly swindled in the name of purchasing fish feeds, manures, plants (including phumdis) and other items.
Copies of the same letters were also sent to the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat and the India Today North East, Guwahati.
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan, BT Road here today, O Joy said that the people have come to know of a huge scam at the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
Maintaining that any scam which takes place at the State Assembly should not be taken lightly, Joy appealed to the Lok Sabha Speaker to constitute a House committee to probe the scam thoroughly.
A team of Judges led by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court may also probe the scam, he said.
If neither the House committee nor the panel led by a Supreme Court Judge should probe the scam, a team of Judges led by either the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court or a sitting Judge may probe the scam or the scam may be handed over to the CBI, Joy said.
Asserting that everything must be done to wash away the dark stain painted on Manipur's Parliamentary system of democracy, O Joy said that he had witnessed several scams at Manipur Legislative Assembly since he was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1972.But all the earlier scams were smaller in scale as compared to the current one, he said.
There was a scam of around Rs 1,72,68,000 in the Medical Department in 1981 .
The scam was produced before the Manipur Legislative Assembly and it was reported by the BBC.
The scam was handed over to the CBI and all the culprits were booked and punished, the veteran politician said.
"For tabling the scam in the State Assembly, I was threatened and attacked on the way home by some armed persons", he said.
The scam of 1981 happened in the Medical Department but the current one is within the hallowed walls of the State Assembly, he said.
As per the invoices, Rs 2.88 crore on fish feeds, Rs 4.85 crore on manures and plants (including phumdis), Rs 3 crore on seasonal flower plants, Rs 2.70 crore on drinking water, Rs 1.20 crore on land scaping, Rs 2.40 crore on stationery items, Rs 1.90 crore on committee functions and meetings, Rs 1.77 crore on refreshments, Rs 0.62 crore (62 lakhs) on condiments, Rs 0.98 crore (98 lakh) on toiletries and Rs 2.70 crore on disposable items.
According to the firmwise billing, Rs 6.98 crore was paid to AI Enterprises, Rs 6.37 crore to Indira Enterprises, Rs 5.76 crore to DE Agency, Rs 4.36 crore to WDS Agency, Rs 2.48 crore to Servo Business Centre and Rs 3.27 crore to Leishangthem Enterprises.
While the item-wise figures accounted for about Rs 25 crore, the firm-wise invoices amounted to Rs 29.22 crore approximately, Joy pointed out.
He said that there is a convention of forming House committees to probe scams if such corrupt practices happen inside a State Assembly or the Parliament.
"If a Lok Sabha committee is not formed, I would go to Delhi and urge the Lok Sabha Speaker directly to form a House committee and probe the scam", Joy said.
"I would also seek an appointment with the Prime Minister as well as the Governor of Manipur on the same matter", he said.
When corruption charges were levelled against the Speaker of the United Kingdom's House of Commons, a House committee was formed and the committee probed the charges.
As the investigation found the Speaker guilty, the Speaker was removed from his post, the veteran politician said.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly represents the State of Manipur, and as such, the Speaker must take serious note of the scam which has maligned the image of each and every MLA, he said.
The scam is also a matter of shame for all the people of Manipur, he added.
Contrary to the bold claims that Manipur would see happy days if BJP comes to power, the freedom of press was completely muffled once BJP came to power, he said.
He added that the judiciary is also not allowed to function fully.
Many Congress leaders including former MLAs Y Surchandra and Laishram Radhakishore were also present at the press meet.
Comment
