Imphal, October 29 2008: While disclosing that there are some people who are lobbying and taking the contract works even before the work orders are sanctioned by the Works Department, Works Minister K Ranjit has informed that black topping of the road stretch from Moirangkhom to Singjamei where the pipeline of the Sewerage Project had already been laid would be commenced soon.

Talking to mediapersons at his office chamber today, the Works Minister said that since the rainy season is over, black topping work of the road would be carried out very soon for which hotmix plant has already been kept ready.

Clarifying the charges levelled against the Department by various contractors, the Minister said in order to pay off the pending bills of the contractors the meeting of the Works Advisory Board had been held.

However, reshuffling of the post of Commissioner in the meantime has taken some time.

So the clearance of the bill is not likely to be before Ningol Chakkouba festival, the Minister said.

The meeting of the Works Advisory Board had given approval to sanctioning of Rs 50 crores as payment for the contractors and it has been moved to the Finance Department for clearance, the Minister informed.

Setting record straight on the allegation of not releasing Rs 9 crores of the 12th Finance Commission, the Minister clarified that the amount has been stalled by the Finance Commission as the rate of utilisation of the plan amount for the fiscal year 2005-06 has been recorded very low. As to the allegation that a sum of Rs 7 crores released in March this year has gone missing, the Minister explained that even if the amount had been released the same has been deposited in the Government account after the engineers concerned refused to issue cheque as the amount was not sufficient enough.

Out of the total amount Rs 1.70 crores had been released to the Medical Division for purchasing machineries, Rs 1.30 crore had been expended on preparing the visits of the VIPs and another Rs 4 crores to the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation for supplying bitumen.

So there is no question of misusing the fund, the Minister said.

The Minister further said that since he assumed the charge of Works Minister, a sum of Rs 62 crores has been cleared so far as the pending bills of the contractors.

It is to ensure the payment of all the pending bills of the contractor before the commencement of 13th Finance Commission in 2010 that all the works related to plan and non-plan have been put on hold, the Minister explained.

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