Kolkata, Dec 22, 2022, IANS

New Delhi/ Imphal, Dec 22 (IANS): Manipur Pradesh Congress on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a CBI probe into the alleged misappropriation of fund of Rs 1700 crore meant for the PMGSY roads.

The four-member delegation of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) led by state President K. Meghachandra submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the misappropriation of fund of Rs 1700 crore meant for the PMGSY roads and removal of concerned ministers and officials.

Former Union Minister and AICC in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, who was also in the four-member Congress team, said that with Rs 1700 crore, at least 3,000 km of road can be constructed but the entire money "gayab ho gaya" (disappeared).

Meghachandra said that the sum had already been taken away in connivance with the Minister, Chief Engineer and officials, contractors, companies and middlemen, without constructing roads for connecting villages under PMGSY.

He said that a Congress team accompanied by media during the past two months visited the rural and interior areas to find out the roads constructed under the PMGSY but nothing was found in any of the districts - Churachandpur, Noney, Tamenglong, Kamjong, Ukhrul.

Senior spokesman of the Manipur Congress Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said that the party also demanded registration of FIRs against Ministers involved, engineers and officials concerned, contractors, companies and middlemen.

They also demanded to recover the entire amount which was withdrawn in the entire "PMGSY scam" without executing the works on ground despite the affirmation of completion of the works as on records.

The Congress memorandum, which also demanded Geo Tagging of the roads works, also submitted to the Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh.