Meg lawmakers urge gov to take action against Subba

Shillong, Apr 16 (UNI) Cutting across party lines, lawmakers in Meghalaya today urged the government to take stern action against controversial Congress MP Mani Kumar Subba if he declines to pay government dues.

Mr Subba, who owned Ms Associates, had defaulted in paying government dues, amounting to Rs 25 crore, relating to running of online lottery in the state since 2001.

Initiating a discussion over the issue in the floor of the House today, Independent MLA Manas Chaudhuri said Mr Subba was a ''defaulter'' who had violated clause after clause on the agreement signed between his firm and the state government.

The government should not have struck a deal with a man who is known for his ''dubious character'' and even cheated the Parliament of his identity, Mr Chaudhuri said.

'' I don't understand why the government inked a deal with Subba, despite the fact that they had been forewarned not to enter into any deal with him,'' the Independent MLA told the Assembly.

Mr Chaudhuri also suggested the government to file a criminal proceeding against Mr Subba and said an impartial judicial enquiry should be instituted.

The member also said the government should fix responsibility on this huge amount of loss in the revenue of the state, and that a white paper should be placed by the government.

Supporting Mr Chaudhuri, Meghalaya Democratic Party MLA Process T Sawkmie, said Mr Subba has become a controversial figure and that the government should be accountable on this issue.

Mr Edmund K Sangma of the Nationalist Congress Party said the government has entered into a business deal with Mr Subba, with the intention of generating revenue.

He, however, alleged that there was an ''unholy nexus'' between the government with Mr Subba and his Ms Associates firm.

Terming the whole affair as ''scandalous'', BJP MLA Alexander Hek said the government has made a bitter deal. How could the government inked this deal without any security despite Mr Subba's ''dubious character''?, the BJP legislator asked.

Urging the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance to recover Rs 25 crore from Mr Subba, Independent MLA Pynshai Manik Syiem said stern action should be taken and if needed, the case should be referred to the CBI for investigation if the defaulter refused to pay.

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