Tamenglong Public Forum raises slur, advocates Central Vigilance Commission probe
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 17 2012: The Tamenglong Public Forum has decided to lodge an application with the Central Vigilance Commission to probe into the alleged misappropriation of fund sanctioned under Multi Sectorial Development Project for IAY housing scheme in Tamenglong district.

Speaking to media persons at the guest house of Manipur Legislative Assembly at Major Khul here this afternoon, TPF advisor and Legislative Assembly ex-candidate Athon Abonmai alleged that cash component of 143 beneficiaries of IAY scheme belonging to Tamei sub-division which amounted to Rs 958300 has been misappropriated.

Out of the 143 duped beneficiaries, new houses should be built for 79 while houses of 64 should be upgraded.

The Government issued two separate orders for construction and upgradation of houses for the 143 beneficiaries on June 17 and July 30 respectively last year.

As per the orders, Rs 38800 were given to each of the beneficiaries whose houses should be built anew while those beneficiaries selected for upgradation of houses were given CI sheets worth Rs 12,000 each in the first instalment.

In the second instalment, the first group of beneficiaries should be given Rs 9700 each and the second group were entitled to receive Rs 3000 each.

But the second instalment which amounted to Rs 958,300 in aggregate was never distributed.

Bill for the second instalment should be prepared by engineers of the concerned DRDA.

However, the bill was prepared by some chartered engineers and it was submitted to the authority by one Section Officer.

Subsequently, the bill was passed after violating all standard rules and norms and the whole was withdrawn in fraudulent manner.

Strangely, the bill prepared and submitted by DRDA engineers is being kept untouched, alleged Athon Abonmai.

Earlier, DRDAs were functioning under respective Deputy Commissioners.

However, after Autonomous District Councils were set up in hill districts at the behest of the State Government in the name of accelerating the pace of development, funds sanctioned for different development projects and schemes have been misappropriated.

The second instalment amount of Rs 958300 was swindled by Executive Director, Assistant Project Officer, Executive Engineer and SDO Tamei, the TPF advisor alleged.

He went on to charge that all Government departments located in hill districts have stopped functioning.

It was only the DRDA which was executing development projects in hill districts but since ADCs were empowered together with clipping powers off DRDAs, the pace of development in hill districts was brought to a grinding halt.

Several cases relating to misuse or misappropriation of public funds sanctioned through DRDA have been investigated by the Vigilance Commission but there is not a single case so far against which due actions were initiated.

It is for this reason that the 143 duped beneficiaries decided to approach the Central Vigilance Commission to investigate the matter, Athon Abonmai added.

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