IMPHAL, June 18: The 7th day of the 5th Session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly started at 11am as usual today. Just as the clock struck 11am, Speaker of the House presiding over the proceedings took up the first business of the day – Question and Answer.
After the conclusion of the Question and Answer business, the Speaker took up the second business of the Calling Attention Motion.
The Calling Attention Motion was moved by Opposition MLAs of the All India Trinamool Congress and members of the House, Dr I Ibohalbi Singh and Th Shyamkumar. The motion was moved drawing the attention of the state Chief Minister who is also the Relief & Disaster Management Minister stating that there is a misappropriation of Rs 1.41 crore in the department and that two officials of the department are involved in the misappropriation.
Approving the motion, the Speaker of the House Th Lokeshwar Singh while instructing the two movers to move the motion addressed MLA Dr I Ibohalbi as “MLA Dr L Ibohalbi”.
Hearing the Speaker wrongly address his name, the MLA replied “My surname is not L, it is I”.
However, the MLA placed his observation, at which the Chief Minister also made his reply. After the debate between the MLA and the Chief Minister concluded, the Speaker took up the next business of the day which is Discussion and Voting on Demands for Grants, 2013-14.
Soon after the Speaker took up the next business of the day, opposition MLA Th Shyamkumar said that even though he is a mover of the Motion, he is not given any chance to place his observation before the House.
The Speaker however replied, that due to his silence, he thought the MLA had nothing to say, and continued on with the next business of the day.
NNN adds: IMPHAL, June 18: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh Tuesday clarified in Manipur Assembly that the reported misuse of huge amount of money by two officials of Relief and Disaster Management was unfounded.
Clarifying that the amount was meant for National School Safety Program sponsored by Government of India under its national program, he said no one had embezzled it.
Ibobi made the clarification in the House after Opposition leader Dr I Ibohanbi moved a Calling Attention Motion asking whether any appropriate action has been taken against the two officials of the Government department who have been reportedly embroiled in misappropriation of the huge fund amounting to Rs 1.41 crore.
Ibohanbi raised the motion citing a report appeared in a local daily in Imphal.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the allegations levelled against the two officials were false and baseless and said any reporter could come to the concerned department and see the account statement.
He said, “Any member of the House can also come and see the statement of account of the fund.”