Choaba charges Loken of withdrawing Rs 7 crore
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 29 2011:
Former Union minister Th Chaoba today charged Minor Irrigation and Social Welfare minister N Loken of withdrawing of over Rs.7 crore meant for construction of 10 small dams before the works have been actually completed.
The advisor of the MPP further alleged in a press conference held today at MPP office that the construction of the dams were taken up by the Minor Irrigation Department without consultation with the IFCD authority.
He said that the dams are to be constructed along the stretch of the flood prone Waishel Maril within the Nambol constituency.
Chaoba said that apart from bypassing required consultations with the IFCD, Loken had also not taken the consent of the people while constructing the dams.
Loken is trying to withdraw the remaining amount of the work before this year financial year ends on March 31 .
If the dams are constructed, it will not only cause frequent flooding in the areas under Sagolband, Keishamthong, Naoriya, Wangoi, Konthoujam and Nambol Assembly constituencies during the rainy seasons but it will also cause flooding around 2,000 paris of paddy fields in the down stream of the Waishel Maril, Chaoba observed.
He also informed that People Development Action Committee (PDAC) had petitioned authorities concerned to inquire into the matter and save the people from the suffering to be caused by the construction of the dams.
MPP president, Dr Nimaichand Luwang, who took part in the press conference, said that among the 12 ministers of SPF government some of them have taken up developmental work only in their own constituencies.
Among them, minister N Loken is one.
While N Loken was minister for agriculture, all fertilizers meant for onward distribution to farmers of the state, he distributed the fertilizers only to the farmers of his constituency, Luwang went on to allege, lambasting ministers of the SPF government of failing to work in the interest of the people of the state.