Imphal, Feb. 19: A banned militant outfit has accused Manipur family welfare minister Bijoy Koijam and his younger brother of swindling money meant for centrally-sponsored schemes and given them a week to return the amount.
The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) yesterday charged the family welfare minister with pocketing Rs 15 lakh while saying that his younger brother Warjit Singh had taken Rs 4 lakh out of Rs 50 lakh withdrawn for implementing the schemes in the two hill districts.
The amount withdrawn is part of the Rs 1 crore provided by the Union family welfare ministry under the National Population Control Programme to be taken up in Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts. The outfit had also taken two of its sympathisers into its custody for their involvement in siphoning off the fund. The two have been identified as Kongbrailatpam Kunjabihari alias Dim alias Sanjoy and R.K. Sonarjit, both from Imphal.
Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today convened an emergency session of his Cabinet to discuss the allegations made by the rebel group. The chief secretary has been directed to conduct a probe into the allegations. However, Bijoy Koijam denied the charges as ?baseless and unfounded?.
A PLA spokesperson yesterday told reporters somewhere in Bishenpur district that Rs 25 lakh was withdrawn in February last year at the behest of the minister. Out of the Rs 25 lakh, Bijoy Koijam took home Rs 15 lakh while the remaining Rs 10 lakh was handed over by the minister?s younger brother to a functionary of the outfit.
Three days later, another Rs 25 lakh was withdrawn. Of this amount, the minister?s brother took Rs 4 lakh and an escort of the minister, identified as constable Ibochou, got Rs 3,000.
The two sympathisers took money from the minister saying the amount was to be handed over to the outfit. In both cases, the amount withdrawn from the banks was first brought to the minister?s official residence, the spokesperson said.
The PLA, armed wing of the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF), said it had never received any money from the sympathisers. The spokesperson said the minister should hand over the money he had taken in the name of the outfit, adding that the outfit would use the money to take up welfare programmes in the hill districts. The only agenda in today?s cabinet meeting was the allegations by the outfit against the minister.
The minister iterated his innocence after the chief minister asked him for a clarification and even issued a statement after the cabinet meeting. Describing the allegations as ?very unfortunate,? the minister claimed that he had no hand in either implementing the schemes or withdrawal of money. He also denied knowing the sympathisers, now in the custody of the PLA.
?There is no question of my or my brother?s involvement in the matter,? the statement said.