Misappropriation charges against Hemochandra

IMPHAL, Oct 26 : Six political parties of the Opposition block in Manipur today alleged that former Speaker I Hemochandra of Congress and the incumbent Speaker of the state had misappropriated to the tune of around Rs  16 crore in purchasing articles for the state Assembly Secretariat.

The financial irregularities of the former Speaker and the incumbent Speaker Th Lokeshor were revealed to the media by Manipur CPI (M) secretary Dr M Nara at the office of Manipur People’s Party (MPP) here, apart from exposing a series of financial irregularities of crores of rupees by the state Assembly Secretariat.

Dr Nara said the state Opposition is continuously receiving series of reports on wrongdoings by the Assembly Secretariat. He alleged that ex-Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Hemochandra misused Rs 13 lakh in 2011 in publication of Assembly dairies and said the highest rate per piece of such dairy should not be beyond around Rs 150.

Likewise, the former Speaker also swindled another Rs 13 lakh in purchasing Assembly dairies in the current year, Nara further accused.   The state Government failed to send it representatives to the Common Wealth Parliamentary Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in September for which the Assembly Secretariat had withdrew Rs 5 lakh. Another Rs 60,000/- was also sanctioned for expenses to attend the briefing organized by the Parliament in New Delhi in connection with the above conference but nobody from the Government side ever attended it.

Yet another Rs 2.80 lakh was taken by the Assembly Secretariat for the same purpose and never attended the meeting, the state CPI (M) secretary alleged.

He went Rs 2.60 lakh was spent by two representatives of the secretariat during the recent Presidential election on taking ballot box from New Delhi and returning the same after voting.

However, former Speaker Hemochandra and the present Speaker Lokeshor alone had siphoned off about Rs 16 crore in purchasing different articles of the Assembly Secretariat without following tender norms. They also sold off on auction three Bolero jeeps, six Gypsies bought two-three years before to their relatives at RS 20,000 each, Nara said. But, vehicles that were purchased before one decade are now using, he further added.

Several post were also created and appointed in the Assembly Secretariat in illegal manner, he said adding the Cabinet decided to appoint five Assembly Translators on March 2, 2012 but the appointments were affected without any notification.

Moreover, seven Translators were appointed on contract basis and another three regular posts of the reporters were also appointed through backdoor, he said.  A single vacant post of Undersecretary of Assembly Secretariat was filled up by one E Shantashree Devi, daughter of former vice president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) but the name of  Nevidita, wife of Speaker Lokeshor was put in the panel list, the CPI (M) leader said.

He said OBC certificate for Nevidita was obtained by cheating after certifying herself to be a daughter of a weaver and then the Secretariat affected promotion for three officers in a single day and one officer was granted voluntary retirement on the same day. After this, one vacant post of Undersecretary was created and filled up his wife Nevidita.

Another notification for appointment of nine LDC was issued but appointed 21 individuals as LDCs in the Assembly Secretariat, Nara said. The Secretariat also appointed another 180 employees on contract basis without issuing notification. Salaries for the 180 employees were paid by spending more than Rs 4 crore during the Financial Year 2011-2012, Nara added.

Nara asked why should not the Speaker being the leader of the Assembly administration own up all the responsibilities for all the posts created in illegal manner and for all the misappropriated money, Nara demanded.

He further appealed to the state Government to set up a u Committee to probe into the entire misdeeds and drew the attention of the Governor to look into the whole matter to safeguard the Assembly Secretariat.

A delegation of the state Opposition will visit New Delhi in November first week to hold consultations with all the national leaders of the political parties to find out ways to raise the whole issue before the Winter session of Parliament which begins November 21, Nara informed.