A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) has alleged massive misappropriation of funds meant for developmental schemes implemented at Pabha Gaon Panchayat (GP). Regarding the issue, the organization demanded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to launch an impartial probe into the allegations to curb the alleged unabated corruption in the GP and to ensure effective implementation of the allotted funds.
In this connection, the dignitaries of the organization convened a press conference at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Tuesday. Addressing the media person, AAMSU central committee assistant general secretary Raju Rahman, Lakhimpur district president Bodiur Rahman and other office bearers said that Pabha regional unit of AAMSU had filed consecutive complaints to the authorities concerned regarding the misappropriation of funds in the said GP.
Raju Rahman said, “The complaint was first submitted to the Block Development Officer of the Karunabari Development Block on March 3 last year. But we received no response to this complaint. Then separate written complaints were submitted to Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur and Commissioner Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department on September 9 last year and January 2 of the current year respectively. After filing the complaint to the Commissioner Secretary of P&RD Department, Kulbhushan Pegu, the Assistant Commissioner of Lakhimpur, was instructed to carry out an enquiry into the allegations.
“Following the instruction, Assistant Commissioner Kulbhushan Pegu along with the BDO of Karunabari Development Block arrived at Pabha GP on March 31 around 3:00 pm. Then the Assistant Commissioner sent for the Pabha regional unit AAMSU workers to Pabha Chariali over mobile phone. As soon as the AAMSU workers arrived at Pabha Chariali responding to the call of the investigating officer, Muhammad Soriful Islam, the husband of the president of Pabha GP, and his companions attacked them with lethal weapons along with the journalists present there at that time. In this attack, four AAMSU workers and two journalists sustained serious injury. At that time, the investigating officer and the departmental employees concerned left the place instead of controlling the situation and helping the injured AAMSU workers and the journalists lying on the ground.”
He further alleged that the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur had not initiated any steps to launch an inquiry into the allegations of corruption in the Pabha GP despite submission of consecutive complaints to him in this regard.
The AAMSU dignitaries expressed vehement resentment over the alleged incapability of Bongalmora police to arrest Soriful Islam, the alleged mastermind of the pre-planned attack. However, North Lakhimpur police arrested two accused, Sadiqul Islam and Abul Hasim on Tuesday and the CJM Court sent them to jail. In the press conference, the AAMSU dignitaries cited a total of 13 schemes of Pabha GP where funds were misappropriated. AAMSU demanded the Lakhimpur district administration and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to launch a probe into the schemes in connection with misappropriation of funds.