Imphal, October 30 2010: Even though the North Eastern Council has given the go ahead signal for administrative approval for Improvement of Tamenglong-Tamei road with an estimated cost of Rs 66.86 Crs, allegations of lack of transparency, besides favouritism not to speak of corruption have started to haunt the said route again.

Claiming that it is echoing the general perception.

the Tamenglong Public Forum while expressing its gratitude to the NEC for the green signal given for the improvement of the Tamei to Tamenglong road, has nevertheless raised doubts over the manner in which the tenders for the said work were floated by the State PWD.

The amount of Rs 66.86 crores for the improvement of the said road was sanctioned on March 25 this year, said the Forum and added that the Imphal-Tamenglong road, popularly known as IT Road, has been a den of corruption for the last many years.

The Forum, in a statement, further quoted a source as stating that the Government of Manipur has ear-marked Rs 5 Crs every year for improvement of the said route and countered how this huge amount of money has been utilised as the IT road condition has remained in the same pathetic condition all these years.

Raising a number of questions tinged with accusatory tones, the Forum asked the Chief Minister, Works Minister and others concerned why no open tender was invited for the improvement work of the said route, for which NEC has sanctioned Rs 66.86 Crs.

Alleging that the tenders were issued only to a few handful of contractors through the back door, the Forum warned that unless the earlier "secret tender" is cancelled and an open tender is resorted to, they will not remain as silent spectators.

The Forum added that they may even take recourse to legal action.

If the pleadings of the forum are not heeded then they would be constrained to approach the Court to direct the NEC to with hold sanctioned amount. Other than this, the Forum has also warned that it would be forced to mobilise the general public and like minded civil society organisations and launch a series of agitation against the erring Ministers, Department and Engineers.

The public of Tamenglong will not remain silent if crores of rupees sanctioned for its development are misappropriated, it added.

Talking to The Sangai Express a P1L is pending with the High Court in connection with the case and added that it was listed at number 18 for the hearing on October 26, but had to be deferred since their case requires-more than a single bench hearing.

Once the double bench of the High Court takes over, then the PIL will be heard, he added.

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