IMPHAL, January 11: Pressuring the NDA government at the Centre to initiate investigations on the Loktak Lake scam in the State is our first priority, claimed State BJP chief Thounaujam Chaoba.
Talking to media persons at the BJP office in Nityaipat Chuthek, he said a BJP team led by him has recently inspected the condition of the NH-37, Imphal-Jiribam road. A detailed report on the condition of the road will be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Minister and the Road Transport Minister after reaching Delhi on January 15, he added.
In the meeting, he said, he will mount pressure on the Union government to complete the development of the road by coming March before the rainy season, adding `we should be ashamed about the abysmal condition of the NH-37 before the people of other States.`
It is unfortunate that leaders of the State chose to visit district headquarters by helicopters to avoid the ground reality. Such practices can`™t be found in other places, he lamented.
Shifting focus on the Loktak Lake Phumdi clearance scam involving Rs 222 crores, the State BJP chief said his party won`™t remain a silent spectator in the near future reminding that the scam was first brought to light by the BJP in 2010. The BJP has conducted several spot inspections in the Loktake Lake and is still protesting against the government and their policies in the interests of fishermen and farmers in the lake.
The State BJP chief said the party has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the scam and book those involved during his recent visit in the State to attend the Sangai Festival where he spent half an hour at the party office. Expressing optimism that the PM will soon start investigations against the Loktak Lake Scam as assured to the people of Manipur, Thounaojam Chaoba said not even a single rupee was misused during the PM`™s campaign in last February.
Chaoba said he is sure that investigations will be started to expose the multi-crore scam but he can`™t tell when it will be initiated by the Central government while requesting people to wait for some more time.
After uncovering the Loktak Lake scam, several other scams involving the MDS will be subsequently exposed in a series. For such expose`™, the BJP has already several leads that will help uncover the scams and is already preparing for such a line of action, the State BJP chief said.
`Even though the BJP is bereft of a single MLA or MP, it will ferret out the corruption culture in government offices as well as those perpetuated by powerful individuals. The BJP will not rest for a single moment until the fight against corruption is taken to every nook and corner of the state. It will not spare anybody found guilty of practicing corruption whether they happen to politicians or any top ranking bureaucrats of the state`, Thounaojam Chaoba said.
BJP don`™t believe in corruption, nepotism or favouritism and if anybody is found guilty inside the party of indulging in such practices he too will not be spare, he said, urging people to inform the party office if they come across corrupt practises whether be it in the Chief Minister`™s Office, Secretariat or any government department.
For the convenience of people, a complaint box is going to be placed at the gate of the BJP office from tomorrow. All the complaints will be delivered to the Central government and befitting actions against the culprits will be taken up, the BJP chief assured.
Spokesperson of the BJP Manipur Pradesh, RK Shivachandra said PM Narendra Modi was aware of the multi-crore Loktak Lake scam before being sworn-in as the Prime Minister.
The BJP is now united and will collectively face any allegations made to our leaders from this moment onward.
The BJP workers have contributed a lot to reach this present state by facing various problems. Recently, some individual try to malign our party president Chaoba by accusing him of indulging in corrupt practices during the replacement of the former RIMS director but the party stands united and will face such charges collectively.