From our Correspondent

SILCHAR, July 3: Gopidas Sinha, a member of Assam State Linguistic Minorities Development Board and a renowned social worker, submitted a memorandum addressed to the Minister of Welfare of Plains Tribes and Backward Classes, through Deputy Commissioner on Monday, reiterating his decision to sit on a fast unto death from July 16 before the Assam Legislative Assembly if his charter of demands are not fulfilled.

His charter of demands included the immediate dissolution of the interim committee of Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council (BMDC) by July 15 on the grounds of irregularities and corruption in utilization of government sanctioned fund of Rs 2 crore 60 lakh during the financial year of 2010-11 and 2011-12, action against the guilty persons involved in the corruption and formation of new committee unanimously by the people of the community.

Gopidas Sinha alleged that the process of the interim committee for the BMDC was quite irregular as he said that the members of the council were not nominated by the community people with unanimous opinion. He further said that the irregular process of nominating members and issue of notification was done at the behest of Kartiksena Sinha, former MLA of Patharkhandi with malafide intention of getting the benefit of the post of the chairman of the committee. According to Sinha, the irregularly formed committee has been involved in a large scale anomalies and financial corruption led by Kartik Sena Sinha in the utilization of government funds.

He also pointed out that large scale anomalies were also found in the distribution of auto-rickshaws and sewing machines as some affluent families got the benefit of the scheme, which was granted for the unemployed youths of the Bishnupriya community. He added to say that this irregularity was done with a malafied intention of collecting money amounting Rs 30,000 to 40,000 from each of the beneficiary of auto-rickshaws.

Gopidas Sinha decried the role of Kartik Sena Sinha as a chairman and said that the former MLA of Patharkhandi has been deceiving the community people and government as well by misusing his power and authority as the chairman of BMDC. As per the information provided by the RTI Act, Kartik Sena Sinha was not a duly elected or nominated chairman of the council, Gopidas added.

Moreover, he alleged that many fake clubs and self help groups were there on the list showing disbursement of financial assistance from the BMDC. “As per the government procedure, only registered clubs are provided government financial assistance, but most of the clubs in the list are not in existence in registration with societies Act. Most of the SHGs are formed overnight by the office bearers of BMDC”, he said.

In the memorandum, Gopinath Sinha mentioned that he would start his fast unto death programme from July 16 during the Assembly session in the event of non-fulfillment of his demands.