Imphal, March 21 2009: Even as the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) has announced sitting Independent MP Mani Charenamei as its candidate for upcoming the Lok Sabha election from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, a social organisation christened itself as Concern Citizens for Development of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency has has come out with serious charges against the MP threatening to rope in the service of the CBI to investigate into the alleged failure of the MP to bring out a white paper on the utlisation of his Local Area Development Fund.

Addressing a press conference in this connection at Manipur Press Club here today morning, spokesperson of the Concern Citizens for Development of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Athan Abonmai informed that all the materials related to the utilisation or rather the failure of utilising a sum of Rs 10 crores sanctioned during the five year term as his MP's Local Area Development Fund by Mani Charenamei have been collected and the same would be handed over to the CBI soon for investigation.

Abonmai further informed that of the total amount of Rs 10 crores, Rs 9,88,57,300 have been sanctioned to over 400 different schemes out of which Rs 1,16,85,000 has been allocated in Ukhrul district, Rs 46,80,000 in Churachandpur district, Rs 84,91,300 in Chandel district, Rs 2,06,30,000 in Tamenglong district, Rs 5,00,10,000 in Senapati District and Rs 8,50,000 in the seven Assembly segments of Thoubal district which are part of the Outer Parliamentary Constituency.

Disclosing that most of the work orders of the schemes taken up in different districts have been issued in favour of four NGOs, namely Light the Land Society, Human Resource Development Society, National Mission Bamboo Application and Western Development Society, Abonmai demanded that these four NGOs should be blacklisted if they were found to be unregistered bodies.

In case of Tamenglong district where a total allocation of Rs 2,06,30,000 had been provided, the sanctioned orders had been issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Senapati District Nidhi Kesharwani, who is the nodal implementing agency in two instalments, first an amount of Rs 9 lakhs on June 6, 2008 and the second an amount of Rs 16 lakhs on June 23 of the same year.

However, the work programmes, the beneficiaries and the work agency listed in both the sanctioned orders were the same.

The sanctioned order issued on June 6 related to eight work programmes and the one issued on June 23 related to seven work programmes.

Similarly, in case of Ukhrul district too where a sum of Rs 1,16,85,000 had been allocated, the work programmes, beneficiaries and the work agency are same in the sanctioned orders issued by the Deputy Commission of the Senapati district in two instalments.

The first instalment related to an Rs 26,50,000 for 17 work programmes was issued on January 12 this year and the second instalment amounting to Rs 28,85,000 for 16 work programmes on February 16 this year, Abonmai pointed out.

In the sanctioned orders of the Senapati district, the work order related to a total amount of Rs 1,65,000 had been issued on May 23, 2005 in the name of one Lucas Zimik for the purpose of 'raising of community farm at Keikao village, Senapati district' whereas in the sanctioned order of Ukhrul district issued on January 12 this year, an amount of Rs 1,65,000 had been allocated for the purpose of 'extension of community hall at Keikao village, Ukhrul district'.

Interestingly, the said Keikao village is not in Ukhrul district and it is located in Senapati district.

The name of one village has been deliberated mentioned as if located in two different districts with the main intention of misusing the fund, Abonmai asserted.

In the sanctioned orders issued respectively on January 12 and February 16, the allocation of Rs 1,65,000 under 'extension of community hall at Soraland village, Ukhrul district', and another allocation of Rs 1,65,000 under 'extension of community hall at Sungriphai village, Ukhrul' actually pertained to just one village and not two, Abonmai said, while pointing out that there is also no sign of extension of the community hall in the village concerned.

It has also been found out that the work orders of both the programmes have been issued in the name of one Prem Keishing, who is the chairman of the same beneficiary committee.

As of Chandel district, most of the work orders of the programmes including construction of a boys' hostel at United College, Lambung have been issued in favour of Ningleichan.

For the improvement of Rani Road from NH-53 to Nungkao village in Tamenglong district, for which a sum of Rs 5 lakhs had been allocated, the work order had been issued in favour of the Co-operative Society Barak Tree Growers although the said road had been developed under phase-V of the PMGSY in 2005-06, Abonmai noted.

Over the last five years, the Outer MP has not distributed the fund from his Local Area Development equally to all the districts and the MP has been providing the work orders in favour of some individuals who are close to him and thus misusing the developmental fund.

So the matter would be brought to the notice of the CBI, Abonmai said, while explaining that the decision of the Concern Citizens for Development of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency should not be looked upon as targeting MP Mani Charenamei intentionally but only in the interest of th public.

It is hard to believe that such a person would work for the welfare of the people, if elected as MP once again, Abonmai added.

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