Imphal, March 14: Chief Minister O Ibobi has today expressed serious doubt that the Government may have a paid a ridiculously inflated price for procuring the land of Manipur Bhawan at Guwahati and asked the GAD Minister to probe the matter and haul up the guilty people.

The Chief Minister said this while answering a question raised by MLA BD Behring during the question-answer session in the Assembly today.

Replying to the full text of the question, MoS for GAD Francis Ngajokpa said that the plot of land procured at Guwahati measures 40,021.25 square feet while the price paid for the plot was Rs 1,21,43,915.Due to the paucity of fund, construction of the Bhawan is yet to start, said Ngajokpa and added that once funds are available the construction work of the Bhawan would start.

Joining in the discussion, the Chief Minister said he was informed by some Assam Ministers that the State Government had paid an exorbitant rate for the plot and added that if the plot is to be sold now it would not fetch more than Rs 50/60 lakhs.

The Chief Minister said certain individuals have made a killing in buying, the plot for Rs 1.21 crore while its actual price is not more than Rs 50/60 lakhs and asked the GAD Minister to probe the matter and take appropriate action.

Opposition MLA of the BJP Meinam Bhorot suggested that an Assembly Committee be set up to probe the matter, at which IFCD Minister N Mangi chipped in and said in a low tone that the person responsible for buying the land at the inflated price is on the Opposition bench.

Speaker, TN Haokip said that since the Chief Minister has asked the GAD Minister to probe the matter, there is no need to form an Assembly committee.

MLA BD Behring said that a Manipur Bhawan at Guwahati is very much needed and added that funds may be procured from the Prime Minister's Non-Lapsable Pool for constructing the Bhawan.

Speaking further the MLA said that none of State Bhawans located outside Manipur are maintained properly.

He added that the lift at the Manipur Bhawan at Kolkata has been out of order for quite some time.

Even the beds there are infested with bed bugs.

The mosquito nets provided at the Bhawan are also of no use, he continued.

MLA M Nilachandra also chipped in and said that the lift at the new Manipur Bhawan at New Delhi went out of order as soon as the new construction was inaugurated.

GAD Minister Francis Ngajokpa informed the House that the CPWD which supplied the lift have been informed of the matter.

Replying to a question raised in connection with the construction of the Sagolmang Police Station, Chief Minister O Ibobi took a dig at a former Chief Minister and said that though construction work at the Sagolmang was suspended, the Wangoi Police Station was completed in record time at a cost of over Rs 1 crore.

Ibobi said a culture of taking up new projects without studying whether there are funds available or not for the project has emerged and added that such practice is unfortunate.

Mention may be made here that the Wangoi Police Station was constructed in record time by the Manipur Police Housing Corporation during the tenure of W Nipamacha as Chief Minister.

Replying to the main question, the Chief Minister said that the foundation stone of the Sagolmang Police Station was laid in October, 1992.As part of the first phase, building construction was started but was later suspended.

The 12 Assam Rifles has since been occupying the spot, he added.

Ibobi said construction of the police station started when the 11 Finance Commission sanctioned an amount of Rs 12 lakhs each for building one police station.