Imphal, February 20: Pouncing on the allegations raised by the proscribed RPF that Family Welfare Minister Bijoy Koijam had fraudulently withdrawn a sum of Rs 50 lakhs from a Centrally sponsored scheme for population control scheme in the hill districts, Opposition MLA O Joy today said that the decision of the SPF Govt to constitute a Govt team to probe into the allegations is a poor joke played on the people of Manipur and insisted that a House Committee be constituted to dig out the truth.

Taking pot shots at the Government, Joy said that the latest allegations have come about even as the Govt is still groping in the dark over the killing of the Lungnila Elizabeth.

On top of this there is also the case of fraudulent withdrawal of fund by a close relative of the Education Minister, reminded the MPP president.

Recounting the accusations levelled by the SPF Govt against the DPA in connection with the killing of Lungnila Elizabeth, Joy asked what excuse they will now come up with against the allegations raised by the RPF.

"Will the Govt now say that the allegations against the Family Welfare Minister were instigated by some one?" Joy countered.

The MPP MLA reminded that the Govt had shied away from constituting an inquiry commission, when the NSCN (IM) linked the Speaker and two Cabinet Ministers to James Kuki, on the ground that the Govt does not recognise the IM group.

However now the Govt has deemed it fit to constitute a team led by the Chief Secretary to probe whether the Central fund has been misused or not, said Joy and questioned the double standard of the Govt.The decision of the SPF Govt to probe the misappropriation of the Central fund by a Govt team is nothing but a poor joke, said Joy and predicted that nothing positive will come out of the inquiry.

If the Govt wants to dig out the truth, then it should constitute a House Committee to probe the matter.

As a number of serious charges and allegations have been raised against a number of Ministers, it would be in the fitness of things for the SPF Govt to resign gracefully, Joy suggested.

The Governor too should send a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry taking the present situation into consideration, he added.

Joy further informed that the Rs 6.75 lakhs which was fraudulently withdrawn by forging the signature of the Education Director has been recovered but that does not mean that those involved in the crime should be allowed to go scot-free.

The amount was meant for building two class rooms at Thoubal under Operation Blackboard of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna.

A new scandal has also been unearthed in the Education Department, said Joy and elaborated that Rs 6 lakhs have been withdrawn without executing any work in Churachandpur district on March 29, 2000.