An MLA of the ruling BJP in Manipur has been accused of slapping and abusing an engineer of the Northern Eastern Frontier Railways (NEFR) posted in Imphal on Monday evening.
In connection with the incident, the engineer lodged a complaint with the police, requesting them to register a case against the MLA.
The unfortunate incident occurred at Lamshang in Imphal West district where works for development of various infrastructures associated with the construction of Tupul-Imphal railway line were in progress Monday evening.
According to the victim, assistant executive engineer Vikash Kumar Meena of the NEFR, the incident occurred when BJP MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen from Lamshang Assembly constituency of Imphal West district came to inspect the sites where the infrastructure development works are in progress.
Talking to the reporters today, the engineer said that the unfortunate incident occurred at Salam Khunou locality where construction of a road under-bridge was in progress.
He said that after receiving a call for a joint inspection of the sites where the infrastructure development for the railways were under progress, he along with his sub-ordinate staff went to a site where construction of a road under-bridge at Salam Khunou.
When they reached the site, an executive engineer of the state public health engineering department (PHED) and an assistant engineer were already there. But, the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the area was not found there. While he was talking with the officials of the PHED, MLA S Rajen arrived and he also gave his due respect to the MLA as per protocols.
However, before initiating any talk, the MLA slapped him (the engineer) while scolding him. The security escort personnel of the MLA also detained him, Vikash Kumar Meena alleged.
The MLA scolded him for not doing the developmental works properly without giving a chance to explain the progress of the works, the engineer added. He described the MLA’s action as unfortunate and added that if a people’s representative behaves like this, officials engaged in the implementation of the developmental works in the state might feel insecure.
It will also discourage the officers directly engaging in the developmental projects to station in the state which will in turn hinder the development of the state. While the concerned MLA made no statement regarding the incident so far, local residents denied the allegation made against the local MLA.
Vice-president Soraisam Anganghal of Awang Khunou Iputhou Puthiba Development Committee said that no such incident occurred while warning the engineer to withdraw the complaint he lodged to the police within five days.
Talking to the reporters, the vice-president alleged that the construction of the road under-bridge remained incomplete for a long time, causing inconvenience to the residents of the area.
He added that due to the non-completion of the work which caused delay in the repairing of the water pipes damaged during the course of construction of the under-bridge, the residents have been facing non-availability of tap water for a long time.
