Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 07:
Water seeping through the roof, dysfunctional toilet and lift and questionable air conditioning equipment has become the hallmark of the much expected second guest house of Manipur in the national capital.
The guest house inaugurated by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on December 28 amidst high expectation to provide the required accomodation to the people of Manipur at Delhi, was built with an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore.
Cracks developed at the building six months after the inauguration besides water seeping through the roof evoking apprehension over the sincerity of the implementing agency.
Central Public Works Department and State officials connected with the construction.
Compared to the adjacent Tripura Bhavan building constructed at a cost of Rs 1.8 crores, the recently constructed and completed Manipur guest house christened Tikendrajit Bhavan is deplete of any modem amenities promulgating further suspicion on whether the total amount for the building were actually utilised.
While the lift system at the Bhavan is of order, sanitary wares in bathrooms of eleven rooms are not functioning properly.
Faulty air condition equipment are also not up to the mark further arising question on whether second hand parts are planted in the rooms and expenditures accounted as of new purchases.
Considering the flaws in the building in such short time after the inauguration construction agency and officials concerned are blamed for neglecting quality and suspected to have siphoned off a major chunk from the earmarked amount.
With finger of suspicion mainly pointed to a particular State Government official engaged in supervision of the construction activities several persons mooted roping in the CBI to launch a thorough probe.
Mention may be made that as gesture of honouring the Tikendrajit and the Manipuri people, the surrounding area were named at Tikendrajit Marg.
When a State Government official was intimated on the matter, he acknowledged malfunctioning of the lift and air conditioning system and attributed irregular power supply for the latter problem.
He, however denied allegation that the ACs were second hand while contending that building cracks and leakage were negligible and only blown out of proportion by vested interest.