‘AMRUT fund misused for Ghost park’

Imphal: Fund under Atal Mission For Rejuvenation And Urban Transformation (AMRUT) amounting to Rs 6,92,918 inclusive of 10 percent GST has been allegedly found sanctioned for a construction of a ghost park at Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai under Ward No.8 of IMC in Imphal West.

According to the work order produced before the media at Manipur Press Club  here, by a former ward member of Ward No. 8, E. Chandikumar, the work was granted to a contractor GG Rongmei of Tarung, Imphal West and the tender amount was Rs 8,92,783.

“There is not a single park at Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai. It is unfortunate that the sub-contractors working under GG Rongmei have misused the development fund,” he added.

Taking on the construction of retaining wall of pond at Nganapi Thong in Imphal West under the 15th Finance Commission 2020-21 amounting to Rs 9,79,491, he said the contract of the work was also taken by GG Rongmei and he had already received a payment of Rs 9,27,020.

However, the only pond in the Nganapi Thong already has the retaining wall which was constructed by the former MLA of Keishamthong in 2003 from the Local Area Development Fund, he informed.

Such misuses of public funds is totally against the slogan of a corruption free Manipur raised by chief minister N. Biren Singh, he said.

He drew the attention of the Anti-Corruption Cell to investigate the matter and award benefitting punishment to those involved in such scam.

The contractor GG Rongmei was the counsellor of Ward no. 1. He was arrested in June for allegedly taking work orders from the IMC worth crores with forged documents. He is currently on bail.