Imphal: Chief Minister N Biren on Wednesday collected large numbers of belts supplied to Manipur Police personnel and produced it before media persons at his office here. He found that the belt can be easily torn by hand. Disappointed with the quality he ordered a probe.
He said the probe would be headed by Additional Chief Secretary Suhel Akhtar, and would have Special Secretary R Sudhan, IGP (Admn) Dr S Ibocha as members. The committee has been given one month’s time to submit its report he said.
Biren said after he received complaints on social networking sites, he directed the Government’s Monitoring Cell headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu to investigate the alleged supply of substandard belts to the State Police Department. Dr Suresh Babu and DGP Manipur, L M Khaute along with two teams of Monitoring Cell conducted verification of the stocks of the central store located in 1st Bn. Manipur Rifles campus and district store located in Imphal West SP’s office complex.
The chief minister said he also personally visited these stores later after the team informed him that there was need for a thorough probe as the supplied belts were of very poor quality and inferior to the samples produced at the time of tender.
Stating that the belts, recovered from these stores, were of very poor quality, the chief minister said it could be easily torn by hands without much effort. Biren also tore a sample of the belt before the media during the press conference. He said that it is unfortunate to detect such irregularities at a time when the State Government is putting in efforts to boost the morale of the State security personnel who have been rendering service to the society day and night.
Preliminary probe found that M/s Md Gani Khan had supplied the sub-standard belts to the Manipur Police Department. CM Biren said the firm had been blacklisted and a thorough investigation would be done against the firm.
He said the police headquarters had ascertained that the supply was made during the year 2013-14. Maintaining that the State Government would never tolerate such irregularities, the chief minister asserted that befitting action would be taken against those who are found involved without any leniency. He further clarified that the present Government has no ill-feeling or enmity against anybody but it is simply trying to penalise the wrongdoers. (UNI)
