Imphal, February 18: In a daring revelation the proscribed Revolutionary People's Front has accused Family Welfare Minister Bijoy Koijam to have misused funds deducted from Government allocation for the underground organization.

Cadres of the RPF have apprehended two of its sympathisers who worked under a Project officer for siphoning off a large amount of party fund, informed a PLA spokesman.

Speaking to newspersons somewhere in Bishnupur district today, the spokesman asked all persons involved in the case to surrender to the party immediately and also return the money that they had used without the party's knowledge within a week.

Stating that the party had conducted an inquiry following a complaint about siphoning off funds from the National Population Scheme without executing any works, the spokesman said the inquiry narrowed down on Bijoy Koijam to have taken Rs 50 lakhs from the scheme for paying to the party out of which only Rs 10 lakhs was received by the party.

It may be noted here that National Population Scheme is a Centrally sponsored scheme undertaken by the State Family Welfare Deptt.

Rs 1 crore was sanctioned for the said scheme.

The two persons who have been apprehended by the party cadres in connection with the case were also paraded before the media persons.

The two persons have been identified as Kongbrailatpam Kunjabihari alias Dim alias Sanjoy (36) s/o Dhananjoy of Singjamei Chingamakha and RK Sonarjit (37) s/o RK Sanahal of Singjamei Thongam Leikai.

Talking to mediaperson, the arrested duo stated that the total amount of Rs 1 crore which was released by the Govt of India for Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts under the Scheme was withdrawn in February last year.

Out of Rs 50 lakhs withdrawn for Tamenglong dist, Rs 25 lakhs was deposited in the account of DFO Tamenglong while Rs 10 lakhs were handed over to a RPF project officer at Hiyanglam by the Minister's younger brother Warjit Koijam and RK Sonarjit who went to Hiyanglam in the Minister's white coloured Maruti Gypsy (MNA-1440).The Minister however, retained the balance amount of Rs 15 lakhs, added the duo.

In the case of Ukhrul dist, a total sum of Rs 25 lakhs was withdrawn and after deducting Rs 4 lakhs for Warjit Koijam and Rs 30,00 for Hav Ibochou (Minister's escort commander) the remaining Rs 20.97 lakhs were handed over to RPF members at Hiyanglam by them (Sonarjit and Kunjabihari), said the duo and added that a sum of Rs 5 lakhs was returned by the RPF cadres to them as commission.

The spokesman also informed that the RPF's official to whom the amount was handed over by the two persons at Hiyanglam has expired and added that not a single paisa of the Rs 14.97 lakhs nor details were found in the account of the deceased man.

He however added that the party's official came across the Rs 10 lakhs which was given to the party for Tamenglong Dist.

The missing Rs 14.97 lakhs should be returned to the party by the two arrested persons within a short time, said the spokesman adding that Minister Bijoy Koijam and his younger brother Warjit Koijam should also return Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 4 lakhs respectively while RK Sonarjit and K Kunjabihari should return Rs 5 lakhs.

Even though intimations have been sent to Minister Bijoy Koijam to clarify on the matter nothing has been done till date, lamented the spokesman and added that strong actions would be initiated against the above mentioned persons if they fail to return the money within a week time.

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