Imphal, June 1: Stung by two major scams in the education department, the Okram Ibobi Singh government in Manipur has decided to constitute a ?consultative committee? to keep tabs on various wings of the administration.
The decision to constitute such a committee, comprising legislators of the Secular Progressive Front (SPF), was taken during a meeting of the ruling coalition last night. The panel is expected to focus on the school education, home and food and civil supplies departments.
The school education department has been the Ibobi government?s main source of embarrassment, more so because a militant group blew the lid off both scams. The Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) last month shot five officials in the leg ? its standard punishment for those found ?guilty? of corruption ? for illegally giving jobs to as many as 90 people.
A preliminary investigation conducted by the department vindicated the vigilante group?s allegation about the existence of a fake appointment racket in the department. All five officials identified by the KYKL were placed under suspension and criminal proceedings initiated against some other officials.
Churachandpur zonal education officer Boyboy Gangte was taken into custody, prompting eight more officials under him to apply for anticipatory bail. Special court judge Surbala Devi, however, rejected all eight bail applications.
Gangte was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Churachandpur, and remanded in police custody till tomorrow.
CPI legislator and SPF convener Moirangthem Nara Singh said the role of the proposed monitoring committee would go beyond just detecting irregularities in various departments.
?The committee will not only keep an eye on departments, but also play the role of an advisory panel. It will make suggestions to the ministers concerned on how to rectify irregularities, if any, in their departments. For the time being, the committee will focus on three departments,? he said.
The food and civil supplies department has been under the scanner for the inefficacy of the public distribution system, while the police department is facing criticism for general inefficiency.
On whether the proposed committee would meddle in the affairs of the departments that are facing flak, Nara Singh said there was no question of interference. ?The panel will only be helping the ministers concerned in running their departments effectively by maintaining transparency and accountability.?
Some see Ibobi?s move as an attempt to keep ?jobless legislators? occupied.
The strength of the ruling coalition in the 60-member Assembly is 40, out of whom only 12 are in the government.
