IT News
Imphal, Nov 5:
Apart from the recent controversy relating to the nomenclature of the actual site of the location of the National Sports University (NSU) of belonging to Kangpokpi District instead of Imphal West ,the Kangleipak Kanba Lup has written to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to order a CBI Inquiry into the scam relating to the swindling of Rs.5.17 Crores of the NSU’s funds (Tax payers money) by officials of the Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd.(HSCL) in connivance with the authorities of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports ,Government of India.
This was revealed in an article written by Yambem Laba Special Representative of The Statesman in Imphal in his article published in The Statesman on the 31st of August 2020 and there has been no rebuttal or denial to the charges levied against the officials till date. Following this the Kanglei Kanba Lup (KKL) has decided to write to the Prime Minister requesting for a CBI probe, said a member during a press meet held today at its office at Paona Keithel.
The spokesperson further said that this swindling had taken place in the year 2017-2018 when an administrative sanction was given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Govt. of India vide No 70-77/2014 SP-VI Dated 4th April 2017 for a total of Rs.5.17 Crores to raze an entire hillock at the NSU Campus at Koutruk to prepare a ground whereby the Prime Minister of India was scheduled to address the public after laying the foundation stone of the NSU. Then the Prime Minister came and laid the Foundation Stone on 16th March 2018. He however did not go to Koutruk but instead laid the Foundation Stone at the Cricket Stadium in Luwangshangbam in Imphal.
Then in August-September by the time in which the HSCL had merged with the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) a Public Sector undertaking which had taken charge of the construction of the NSU and the bi-annual review meeting of the NSU was held in Delhi. The then Acting Vice-Chancellor of the NSU and Secretary Sports of the Government of India Rahul Bhatnagar IAS presided over the meeting. During the said meeting the NBCC representative is said to have presented the completion report of the razing of the hillock and the ground for PM Modi’s meeting prepared in time and the utilization certificate was also presented. When this was said one of the officials present in the said meeting asked the NBCC official to furnish a copy of the Notice inviting Tender for the said work and to give the name of the Contractor/Firm to whom the work was awarded to for the razing of the hillock and preparation of the ground. The NBCC official was unable to do so simply because the Work was executed on paper only (Akassh Bill to use a Manipuri parlance). The truth of the matter is that the NBCC officials in connivance with the YAS Government of India authorities had taken a photograph of a ground already constructed by the State PWD in Koutruk and shown it as the actual work done for the Rs.5.17 Crores sanctioned for the purpose. The involvement of Rahul Bhatnagar became clear when he drew up the “Minutes” of the meeting in which the question of misutilization of the Rs.5.17 Crores was not mentioned at all. Then Rahul Bhatnagar was replaced by R S Juliani IAS as the Secretary YAS GOI and the Acting V C of the NSU RS Juiliani did not even convened a single review meeting thereafter. Apart from these two the role of S S Tomar then Deputy Secretary of the YAS GOI and the person who had signed the Administrative Order for the sanction of the Rs.5.17 Crores and a frequent visitor to Imphal is also suspected. Also the role of R.K.Shrivasthava the point man of the HSCL and a man who was in charge of the entire North East based in Guwahati has also been pointed out to the PM. Also the former Managing Director of the HSCL Moyukh Bhaduri who is already facing a CBI case for having accepted a bribe of Rs One Crore from Contractors for awarding of Contract works in the NSU has also been pointed out as he was in office when the scam was floated. And also to include in the scope of the CBI investigation the role played by the former Dean of the NSU Jayshree Acharya who had appointed Visiting Faculty members without advertisements flouting prescribed UGC norms and guidelines and had made purchases without floating tenders.
The KKL has also pointed out the fact that the present Vice-Chancellor of the SNU R.C.Mishra IAS (Rtd) is but a former Civil Servant with little or no experience in Sports Sciences, Sports Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Psychology and Sports Medicine.Thus we had also endorsed the recommendation of the Manipur Olympic Association to appoint internationally renowned Sports Scientist and Academician Dr.G L Khanna to the post of Pro-Vice Chancellor of the SNU.
There were two Manipuris present In the NSU during the initial days and they are K.Radhakumar Singh IAS (Rtd) as the Registrar and Major Yambem Angamba Singh (Rtd) as the Deputy Project Director of the NSU Radhakumar Singh had submitted his resignation as the authorities of the NSU paid no heed to his complaints relating to the misdeeds of Jayshree Acharya former Dean and the services of Major Angamba who was serving on a Contract basis was not extended since last year. Also amongst the Manipuris who had applied for the post of the V.C of the SNU were Lt. General Konsam Himalaya Singh (Rtd) and Hawaibam Dileep Singh IAS (Rtd). Why they were not selected we do not know. However we would reiterate our demand that having given 300 plus acres of land for the Construction of the NSU there should be at least two representatives in the final decision making body of the NSU, one from the side of the Government of Manipur and another from amongst the sportspersons or general public of Manipur.
The KKL further said that the National Sports University was first established to give a quantum leap to the Indian Sports persons so that they may bring laurels to the Country in various disciplines in International Sporting events like the Asian, Common wealth Games, World Championships and the Olympics. Manipur was given the singular honor of having the NSU established here in recognition of her contribution in the realm of sports worldwide. But for it to start functioning in if s full assigned tasks it would need to clear up its muck first.
