Alleging that huge scam has been carried out in road construction under PMGSY, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has decided to invite all concerned authorities for a joint inspection visit at Galkapkot to Gamhui Road in Churachandpur district, Noney to Nungnang and Tupul to Charoi Chagotlong.
Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan on Tuesday, MPCC senior spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said that under the leadership of MPCC president, the party has been consistently reaching out to the entire people of Manipur, particularly in hill districts of the state. And the main purpose of the visit is to ensure the rights of the hill districts and get adequate infrastructure, he said, adding that during such visits, the party noticed misappropriation of funds for road construction under PMGSY.
During the spot visit of the MPCC carried out after receiving complaint from Gangte Tribe Council, the party went to Galkapkot-Gamhui under Thanlon subdivision of Churachandpur District on October 31 in which a huge scam of PMGSY was unearthed with the local people of Galkapkot, the Congress leader said. Then, on November 22, the MPCC team went to check PMGSY roads of Noney to Nungang and Tupul to Charoi Chagotlong under Nungba TD Block of Noney District, wherein a huge scam of PMGSY was found again, he added.
He informed that on November 8, chief engineer/EO, RED/MSRRDA, Pantishing Thaimei issued a letter to the Joint Secretary (RD & PR), Government of Manipur, under the subject ‘Media report on inspection of Galkapkot – Gamhui road in Churachandpur District by MPCC’, to ensure for an enquiry/inspection of the road by a committee headed by Chief Engineer, RED/ MSRRDA. The letter also advised to submit the said report on or before 7th, December, 2022.
But November 26, local media reported that Chief Engineer Pantishing Thaimei, additional chief engineer Rajen and a representative of Contractors’ association, gave statements which tantamount to misleading the expose on the PMGSY scam, he added.
While informing that construction of road from Noney to Nungnang road under PMGSY under Nungba TD Block is completed, he said construction of this road is completed in two different packages according to certified record. After the completion of the same road, another new package named MN07241 was sanctioned worth Rs 792.15 lakh for 17.5 km on September 4, 2018. Out of total money, Rs. 409.16 lakh was expended on August 3, 2019 by granting as a work under a different new package.
Even in the recent Manipur Legislative Assembly, this new package was not mentioned when president MPCC had asked about the detailed report of PMGSY, he added.
He further said that in the case of construction from Tupul to Charoi Chagotlong road, another two new packages were found without completion of the project. MPCC strongly condemns all such irregularities and to verify all ground reality which MPCC came across, the party has decided to conduct joint inspection, the Congress leader said.
He said that they will invite concerned minister, chief secretary, additional chief secretary, officials, engineers, contractors, hill leaders, civil societies, all stakeholders, media and the public for a joint inspection to all the sites which were visited by the MPCC team recently to expose PMGSY scam in the hill districts of Manipur. The inspection would be done before December 10, he informed.
