TODAY -
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 08 2009:
Even as Rs 40 lakhs were sanctioned to procure mouse traps and anti-rodent chemicals to save crops from rodents whose population rose phenomenally following bamboo flowering in some districts of Manipur, it has turned out that the sanctioned amount has been misappropriated and the mouse traps laid in the tables of Agriculture Department.
This fraudulence was discovered in the course of an extensive survey conducted by The Sangai Express in Chandel, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts where people faced acute food shortage after their crops were destroyed by rodents in the wake of bamboo flowering.
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Besides interacting with villagers in the interior areas of these districts, this reporter also took reports from some Deputy Commissioners and officials.
Contrary to the claim that Agriculture Department bought mouse traps and anti-rodent chemicals and the same were distributed to villagers, the affected villagers maintained they never received any trap or chemical from the Government.
Observing that vast areas of standing crops have been devoured by rodents in Dailong village of Tamenglong district, this reporter asked the villagers if they did not receive mouse traps and anti-rodent chemicals from the Government.
They replied in the negative adding that they used traps made by themselves.
The villagers said that they heard about some other villages receiving one/two mouse traps and a little anti-rodent chemical.
Similar tales were also recounted in Churachandpur district too.
Investigation by The Sangai Express revealed that the Agriculture Department bought mouse traps and anti-rodent chemicals worth Rs 40 lakhs last year from the financial assistance provided by the Centre.
But when it was learnt that terraced paddy fields which usually yielded 100 or 200 tins of rice yielded only 20/30 tins this year in some villages of Tamenglong district, it evoked serious question whether the mouse traps and chemical bought by Agriculture Department reached the villagers or not.
Supply order for the mouse traps and anti-rodent chemical was issued to a firm based at Imphal last year.
However, no records about receipt of these items could be found in Agriculture Department.
It was also unclear whether these items were given to district authorities or not.
Meanwhile, the Accountant General Manipur has informed the State Government that the amount sanctioned for purchasing mouse traps and anti-rodent chemicals has been misappropriated and that no record about utilisation of the amount could be found in Agriculture Department.
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