Dramas continue to unfold in RIMS and the latest scene is the way two cheques amounting to Rs 1.50 crore have bounced. What is little known in Manipur is that those who issue worthless cheques can be booked, prosecuted and imprisoned.Highly placed sources said that one cheque for Rs 1 crore is for the construction of the hostel of Dental College in RIMS while the other amounting to Rs 50 lakh is for the construction of the approach road.The first one was done through PDA, government of Manipur. Adequate fund had been set aside for payment to the contractors. In fact cheques had been issued to them. But to the horror of thecontractors these cheques had bounced when they had gone to banks to encash the same.Sources said that the two bounced cheques were signed by Prof S. Sekharjit while he was in office and E. Debendra Meitei, the chief accounts officer. Documents show that fund was there to support the cheques when these were issued. But through a sleight of hands the money had been used elsewhere.Now efforts are on to pull up the officials for issuing the bounced cheques. Attempts by Imphal Times to seek versions of Prof Sekharjit and Debendra Meitei were not successful since they could not be contacted over the phone.The contractors may decide go to the law court and if they do it will be a major embarrassment to the RIMS and union health officials.
