Sir,
The recent takeover of the portfolio of Tribal Development by Chief Minister has created a history in the State Govt.of Manipur. It is obvious that no Meitei Minister had even held this portfolio of Tribal Development. This Department has been laying in a mess for so many years. To many Tribal Ministers and high ranking officers of T.D. this department was a gold mine for amassing of wealth by misusing Tribal Development Funds. The Chief Minister must have taken over this portfolio of T.D. with good intent and to rectify the messes left by the former Ministers in nexus with Mr. Kaikho Mao D.D.O and Rajendro an Adhoc Deputy Director. Some people misunderstood that, the CM has taken over this department under his control out of sheer jealousy. Howbeit it could never be ! Many Tribal Ministers and Tribal Commissioners of T.D. Department had misused the funds of the T.D. Department in nexus with the present D.D.O and few unscrupulous scheme officers in terms of corers. The T.D. Department to be now under the control of the Chief Minister is a safe haven from the clutches of the gangster. In a swift change, the Chief Minister has also appointed a non-manipuri senior I.A.S Officer as the Commissioner of the T.D. This step is with good intent to bring a major change in the T.D. Department where there is already an institutionalized crime. The people are watching the bold-minded Chief Minister in the person of Mr. O. Ibobi Singh to clean up the rotten T.D. Department and bring a paradigm shift in the administration of this Tribal Department. It may be mentioned that, Mr. Kaikho Mao D.D.O & Scheme Officer and Mr. Rajendro and Adhoc Deputy Director for the last 20 years do not attend office throughout the year. Yet, no authority has taken any action against these notorious officers. Any beneficiary who comes to T.D. Office can never meet them for any office matter. These two scheme officers of T.D. are known as the two lions of the T.D. Department for their manliness in getting the lion’s share of all the schemes. At the same time 30% of all the scheme are deducted from the beneficiaries in the name of 30 groups of underground in Manipur. A systematic method has been created in the T.D. Department by them to accumulate funds for their own benefits. They have become crorepati. They have also purchased flats in Delhi and other cities of India. Yet, they are still given free-hand to manipulate the T.D. Funds and left scot-free in the eyes of the S.P.F Government. They are never found in their office. They can be found only sitting with the Ministers and Chief Minister. Even Director and Commissioner of T.D. are humorously looked down by them. For these two very unscrupulous officers only money is their authority. For them it seems there is no law in Manipur to grill them. The other day I meet them in the office of the Education Minister D.D. Thaisi. I asked them why scholarship for some students had been halted suddenly. They humourously told me that, they can tell me the reasons only when Lokpal Bill is introduced in Manipur. It is well known to one and all that, most of the funds are kept in their private accounts. Recently Mr. Kaikho Mao was directed to retrieve the money amounting to 4 crores kept at Punjab and Sind Bank M.G Avenue Imphal in his private account. But no one knows wether this was done or not. The T.D. Department has become like a private company of Mr. Kaikho and Rajendro. Even with such crime the Govt.of Manipur has turned blind eyes on them. People also say that, Mr. Kaikho Mao and Rajendro of T.D. Department even use, Black Magic to induce the Chief Minister from taking action against them. It is high time for the Chief Minister to restore proper administration in T .D. Department like other Departments. In case the Chief Minister fails to do so no one in Manipur will ever be able to rectify the ills of the T.D. Deptt. in the future from the clutches of few foxy officers. Hope, the Hon’ble CM will leave no stone unturned to streamline this Tribal Departments and also take appropriate actions against the unscrupulous officers who are running now from pillar to post for lobbying here and there. Trust upon the Chief Minister is the only option left to the Tribal People to belt out this Tribal Department in the interest of the Public.
Yours faithfully,
Mangsei Haokip,
Social activist Ward No. 4
Saikul Block, Sadar Hills.