Hill Areas Committee Chairman Flags Massive Contract Scam in Manipur Hills

Ukhrul, June 17: D Gangmei, Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, has written to Union Home Secretary and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, flagging what he described as a “big scam” in the awarding of government contract works across the hill and tribal districts of the state.

In his letter on Monday, D Gangmei alleged widespread irregularities in the execution and allocation of developmental projects related to education, health, and road infrastructure. He accused certain government officials of colluding with contractors and “pseudo-constructors” to issue work orders far beyond the scheduled rates or sanctioned estimates. These actions, he claimed, are being carried out under the guise of public development, but in reality undermine the government’s intentions and compromise quality and accountability.

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Citing specific examples, Chairman HAC D Gangmei noted instances where multiple contractors, “regarding rigid pavement construction of roads at District HQs and Schools/Hostel Buildings where minus 16 to 32 bidders are given works orders” in the hill districts. He expressed serious concern over how such projects could be successfully implemented, given the difficult terrain, transport bottlenecks, scarcity of raw materials, and prevailing law and order issues etc. in the tribal districts in Manipur hills.

Calling for immediate rectification, D. Gangmei urged the Governor for personal intervention and strict action against the responsible officials and contractors before public money is wasted and the hill communities further alienated.

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“This is a big scam and will be a big embarrassment for the BJP Government, those responsible officials and contractors should be taken to task immediately before the public money is wasted and alienating the peoples of Manipur,” the HAC Chairman warned in the letter.