Imphal, Nov. 3: The BJP today demanded the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office and asked the Planning Commission to institute an inquiry into the project to clear Loktak lake.
The party alleged that Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and his family members had stakes in the company implementing the project.
“An inquiry commission should be instituted under a sitting judge of the Supreme Court on this scam without any delay,” P. Chandra Shekhar Rao, BJP zonal organising secretary told reporters before leaving Imphal this afternoon.
Rao was in Imphal since yesterday to oversee the preparations for the state unit’s presidential election this month.
The Planning Commission provided Rs 224 crore to clear phumdis (floating bio-mass) from Loktak lake, as part of its management and beautification.
The Loktak Development Authority, chaired by chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, awarded the contract, worth around Rs 224 crore, to K. Pro Infra Works Private Ltd, said to be a subsidiary of Hyderabad-based Progressive Construction Ltd on August 1, 2009.
Progressive Construction, blacklisted by the World Bank, is owned by Congress MP from Hyderabad, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, and K. Pro is headed by his son Bhaskar Rao.
K. Pro was a “bogus company” and Ibobi Singh and his family members were its promoters, Chandra Shekhar Rao said.
He said K. Pro was floated only a few days ahead of the floating of the tender and it was the only bidder.
He said a BJP team today visited Loktak and found that only 10 per cent of the work was completed.
He said the BJP was also demanding that the state government should present a status report on the contract given to K. Pro and the government should immediately release the details of the promoters.
The BJP also demanded a special audit inquiry by the comptroller and auditor-general of India.
He said the BJP would raise this issue during the winter session of Parliament.
He also demanded that the income tax department and vigilance commission should probe the assets of Ibobi Singh and his family members. “This (Loktak clearance project) is nothing but broad daylight robbery of public funds,” he alleged.
