PILs filed against the Loktak Development Authority, Manipur Development Society and the state social welfare department
IMPHAL, August 4 (TNN): Former Manipur CM RK Ranbir Singh's son, RK Premjit Singh, has filed public interest litigations (PILs) against three separate units of the Okram Ibobi Singh government for alleged mismanagement of funds.
The PILs have asked for a high-level probe into allegations of corruption in the Manipur government and appropriate legal action against the guilty officials.
A bench of the Manipur high court, headed by acting chief justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad and justice S Serto, admitted all three PILs and issued notices to the relevant government officials and private firms.
Premjit engaged Supreme Court lawyer Rajesh Aggarwal to file PILs against two state government undertakings: the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) and Manipur Development Society (MDS). Advocate Kh Samarjit, who practises in Manipur high court, filed a PIL against the state social welfare department.
"My primary agenda is to streamline governance in the northeast. I am also prepared to file a bunch of PILs against other departments of the state," Premjit told the media on Wednesday.
The litigant, who is currently in New Delhi, said there is no political motive behind filing of the three cases.
The LDA case pertains to the cleaning of phumdi (floating biomass) from the Loktak lake, a project amounting to Rs 224 crore. The petitioner contended that the work had been initially awarded to a company on a trial basis. Premjit said the LDA had awarded the contract without floating a tender and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had reported mismanagement of funds.
Premjit added that, later, tenders were invited and the contract was awarded to a single bidder, a 'two-day-old' company called M/s K Pro.
The MDS case involves Rs 626 crore from 2007 to 2015 and the PIL alleged that contracts were awarded without issuing tenders and through fictitious payments. The petitioner raised anomalies in the construction of a circuit house in Churachandpur, Integrated Ayush Hospital in Lamphelpat, Regional Water Sports Complex in Takmu, District Sports Complex in Bishnupur and Chandel and barrack-type quarters for Wangoo Laipham Primary Health Centre, among others.
Another PIL is related to the non-construction of an anganwadi centre by the state social welfare department. The petitioner said Rs 101 crore was sanctioned for the construction of 4,464 anganwadi centres from 2005 to 2014.
Having heard the three cases separately, the court issued notices to the respective government and private respondents and fixed September 9 as the date for the next hearing.
