Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 05 2010:
AICC president Sonia Gandhi's one-day visit to the State is set to make the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee poorer by at least Rs 25 lakhs.
A reliable source informed that the MPCC has submitted an estimate of Rs 25 lakhs to Chief Minister O Ibobi who is heading the Congress Legislature Party as the requisite expenditure for Sonia Gandhi's scheduled visit.
Incidentally, Chief Minister O Ibobi presided a Cabinet meeting of the SPF Government this afternoon.
Just as the Chief Secretary, the DGP and other top ranking officials of the Government started leaving the meeting hall after the meeting, the Chief Minister signalled the Congress Ministers to stay back.
After the Chief Secretary, DGP and other officials had left, the Chief Minister tabled the MPCC's estimate of Rs 25 lakhs before the Congress Ministers.
The Chief Minister indirectly suggested that the Cabinet Ministers contribute the amount from their own pocket and hand over the same to the MPCC, conveyed the source.
However, CPI Minister Ph Parijat being a non-Congress Minister and senior Minister Th Debendra, though a Congress Minister, would be exempted from making any contribution towards the MPCC's proposed expenditure for Sonia Gandhi's visit.
As such, the Chief Minister and eight Cabinet Ministers would be contributing to meet the MPCC's estimate of Rs 25 lakhs.
However, senior Congress legislator and CAF &PD Minister Y Erabot stated that he could not believe MPCC has submitted an estimate of Rs 25 lakhs to the Chief Minister.