Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 21:
Reacting to the ransacking of his office by Imphal East Zilla Parishad members yesterday and clarifying on various allegations levelled against him, Imphal East Deputy Commissioner KK Chhetry has clarified that at no point of time he had ever misappropriated public money.
Rejecting the allegations levelled against him as baseless and unfounded, the DC maintained that the allegations were deliberately fabricated by Zilla Parishad members as they could not lay their hands on public money.
He asserted that the Zilla Parishad members would not be able to produce a single sheet of document to corroborate the false charges levelled against him.
Accepting that beneficiaries of Indira Awaz Yojana (IAY) were paid their due amounts directly, he contended that it was done according to guidelines.
There was no instruction or provision to implement the scheme (IAY) through Zilla Parishad, he asserted.
Concerning the allegation that amounts distributed to Zilla Parishad members for Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) were not uniform, KK Chhetry clarified that it was also executed according to rules.
As per established guidelines, SGRY amounts are provided more in places which are comparatively backward while those relatively better places are extended lesser amounts, he mentioned.
As for the Integrated Watershed Management Development Programme, the first, second and third phases of the project were implemented after proper selection of Project Implementing Agency (PIA).
However, the fourth, fifth and sixth phase of the same could not be implemented till date even as relevant PIA was selected in December last with Imphal East ZP Adhyaksha as chairman.
The necessary fund for these phases had already been released in July/August last year.
The DC contended that subsequent phases of the project could not be implemented due to internal wrangling among the PIA which also included the ZP Adhyaksha.
The PIA was also crippled as it was embroiled in a legal case, he disclosed.
Under such a condition of uncertainty and disability to implement the project, the DC was constrained to withhold the sanctioned amount, clarified KK Chhetry adding that the Zilla Parishad members were endeavouring to tarnish his image with false and fabricated charges when they were unable to follow the established guidelines and rules.