IT News
Imphal, Sept 2:
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s promises to root out corruption appear to be another joke as Mechanical engineers who have been retired from MDS and who are under CBI scanner for corruption charges are re-engaged for MOBEDs (the engineering cell of MOBC) which is supposed to be filled by Civil engineers. As per an official notification by the former Chief Engineer of PWD (L) Binoykumar Singh, Civil works of construction of Buildings, Roads, and bridges are normally designed and executed by Civil engineers only. The notification was issued in 1999 and is still valid.
On the other hand, there have been numerous rulings of the High court and also decision of the state cabinet not to re-engage or extend service for those who are retired. Above all these, student organisation like AMSU had appealed not to extend service or re-engage on June 26 this year and this appeared in many newspapers of the state. However, in spite of all these, the present BJP-led government of the state is re-engaging and extending the service of retired engineers in various Engineering Departments, Societies and Corporations and giving them full-time employment. It is not clear under which criteria, the retired engineers are being re-engaged. It is worth mentioning that the present Chief Minister of Manipur had time and again vowed to root out corruption from the state in various public meetings and press meet and even went to the extent that, even his family members will not be spared if found involved in corrupt practices.
The Engineering Cell of Manipur Minorities & OBC Economic development society (MOBEDS) which is under the Directorate for Welfare of Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes has the Chief Minister as the Chairman, Secretary to the CM as Vice-Chairman and Director of Minority Affairs, OBCS, and SCs, Government of Manipur as Member Secretary. A retired Additional Chief Engineer from the erstwhile Irrigation and Flood Control Department, currently known as Water Resources department has been re-engaged as a Chief Engineer, MOBEDS since 2019. The said re-engaged Engineer is a close relative of the present Secretary to the CM and Vice Chairman of MOBEDS, raising the question and doubt of corruption, favouritism, and nepotism. Above all these, services of certain employees (Engineers) of Manipur Development Society (MDS) which has an ongoing case by the CBI are being utilised. Two retired Engineer officers (EO) and one retired Surveyor of Works(SW) of MDS are currently re-engaged with MOBEDS. Different civil construction works are being undertaken by MOBEDS under MSP, PMJKV, and other centrally Sponsored schemes of Minority Affairs, Government of India, and most interesting of them all are the civil construction of Sadhbavna Mandap, Model Residential School, School Buildings, Boys and Girls Hostel in different districts of both Hill and valley region of the state. What is most intriguing is that the Executive Engineer (EE) who are re-engaged to execute and supervise all these numerous civil constructions happens to be Mechanical Engineer instead of a Civil Engineer. It may be worth questioning why the Member Secretary and Chief Engineer are silent over this matter of re-engaging a Mechanical Engineer as an EE for supervising these projects which cost crores of rupees. In the event of an unfortunate event arising out from technical defects, who will be held responsible and accounted for, is the finger going to be pointed towards Chairman or Vice-Chairman or the Member Secretary?
Nowhere in other Engineering Cell of other Manipur Government departments like the Public Works Department (PWD), Water Resources, Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) and Minor Irrigation(MI) engage Mechanical Engineers to supervise and execute Civil construction works. It is worth mentioning that every developmental project and work taken up should be done for the welfare of the public, not in the self-interest of some people. If the need arises, it should be done in a free and fair manner, to re-engage those who have sound technical knowledge and diligent retired Civil engineers.
