Imphal, December 29: Along with revising the cost of Khuga Multi-purpose Project which has been under construction since Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was the Deputy Chairman of Union Planning Commission about 20 years back, the State Cabinet has decided to initiate an enquiry into awarding contract works worth Rs 29 crores which were out of the purview of the project and fix responsibility under Manipur Public Servant Personnel Liability Act.

The Cabinet meeting held this evening with Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh in the chair decided to take up action against the engineers involved in awarding the contract works by invoking the provisions of the Act after an enquiry.

Out of the contract works of Rs 29 crores which were awarded out of the purview of the project during 2005-06, Rs 11 crores had already been withdrawn while the work orders for over Rs 6 crores had been frozen by the Government after it got wind of the matter.

The Cabinet meeting decided that the withdrawn amount should be recovered from the guilty officials after conducting an enquiry under the Manipur Public Servant Personnel Liability Act.

In view of the hike in the cost of construction materials and the land compensation amount to be paid, the Cabinet meeting has also revised the project cost of Khuga Multi-purpose Project from Rs 294 cores to Rs 335 crores.

Along with taking a resolution to the effect of cancelling the regularisation of the post of 28 employees appointed on contract basis in Manipur Remote Sensing Application Centre, which is under the Science and Technology Department, the Cabinet meeting decided that the said employees should remain on contract basis though they would be entitled to enjoy the same amount of the salaries they are drawing at present.

In order to strengthen the functioning of 25 police stations located in the hill districts, the Cabinet meeting approved recruitment of 1165 personnel starting from the rank of Inspector to Constable driver.

It may be recalled here that the on an earlier occasion the Cabinet had discussed appointment of 1197 posts for 33 police stations.

Today's Cabinet meeting has also given its approval to installation of a 10-feet tall statue of Thangal General at the Traffic Island, near Palace Gate as well as on formulating a new general rules for the Wakf Board.

Along with the approval for setting up the Kangpokpi division of the Public Health Engineering Department, the Cabinet has also given its nod on appointment of two drivers of Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi on contract basis.

The agenda on extension of the service tenure of college teachers enjoying the UGC pay scale from 52 to 62 years, however, has been deferred from discussion by the Cabinet.

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