Imphal: Khumanthem Dhanachandra Singh has filed a formal complaint with the Manipur Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department. He wants a deep probe into the Manipur State Rural Roads Development Agency. Officials there allegedly snatched VAT from contractor bills but failed to pay the cash into the state treasury. They held the money instead. The investigation must fix responsibility for this massive revenue oversight.
Evidence comes from a 2023 audit report and Right to Information Act findings. The audit flagged a 5.6 percent VAT deduction totaling Rs 215.77 lakh. This money came from 95 separate contractor bills covering 34 ongoing projects. The total bill value hit Rs 3,853.34 lakh. Rather than hitting the government account, the cash sat in the bank account of the Empowered Officer for the MSRRDA.
This is not the first time. Earlier inspections by the Principal Accountant General between April 2017 and March 2020 uncovered a larger mess. Executive Engineers in PIU-I, PIU-II, and PIU-III held back Rs 6,43,14,668 in VAT. The money remains missing. Singh claims, "The complaint is based on official audit records, inspection findings and documents obtained under the RTI Act, 2005, and has been submitted in the interest of transparency, accountability and protection of public revenue."
The complaint demands that the department seize all original records. This includes cash books, vouchers, ledgers, and bank statements from the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department. Investigators must trace every cent in the Empowered Officer’s accounts to see where the money went. Singh wants the state to claw back the lost revenue, including any interest owed. The agency must answer for the missing millions.
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