PMGSY Scam in Thanlon AC: Fake Documents, Rs 3+ Crore Bill in Chaos of Manipur Crisis

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a flagship central scheme launched in 2000, aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations in rural areas, particularly in challenging terrains like Manipur's hill districts.

In states like Manipur, where geography isolates communities and ethnic tensions often disrupt normal life, PMGSY roads are not mere infrastructure, they are lifelines for access to markets, healthcare, education, and emergency services. 

However, this project in Thanlon Assembly Constituency (AC), under Churachandpur district, the road from L022-NH/150 (Thanlon) to Mongon (Package No. 3237), stands as a stark example of how such noble intentions can be subverted.

The contract was awarded in 2019 to Chirom Iboyaima Singh, a Special Class Contractor based in Imphal West. The tender amount was Rs. 14,29,98,203.78 (accepted at -8.20% below the estimated cost), with 18 months allowed for completion from the start date of August 31, 2019. This meant the road should have been finished by early 2021. 

As of March 2026, over six years later, serious doubts persist about substantial physical progress, despite significant funds disbursed. At the heart of the allegations is a major forgeries that question the very eligibility of the contractor. 

To meet the bidding document (mandatory qualification criteria), Iboyaima submitted a Job Completion Acknowledgment dated December 14, 2014, purportedly issued by the Superintendent Engineer, PWD (Border Roads), Assam, Chandmari, Guwahati, in compliance with Clause 4.4.A of the bidding document, for the work "Construction of two lane Railway Over Bridge (R.O.B.) in replacement of Railway Gate No. SK-14 at Nalbari District of Assam under CRF scheme (Job No. CRF/AS/2010-11/112)".

An RTI response from the APIO & Executive Engineer, PWD (Border Roads), Assam, dated February 3, 2022 categorically stated no such work was sanctioned in 2014, rendering the issuance of any work order impossible. The document was fake, a clear act of forgery to falsely establish past experience and eligibility.

These foundational flaws should have disqualified the bid outright. Instead, the project proceeded, raising red flags about oversight in the tendering process.

Further, payments tell an even more suspicious story. Early Running Account (R/A) bills followed a modest pattern consistent with gradual progress:

1st R/A: Rs. 77,46,770 approved (October 25, 2019)
2nd R/A: Rs. 89,81,045 (November 16, 2020)
3rd R/A: Rs. 85,23,672 (July 20, 2021)
4th R/A: Rs. 1,08,00,000 approved (February 20, 2023)

Bills typically hovered around Rs. 1 crore or less per financial year, reflecting realistic construction pace for a rural hill road.Then came the Manipur ethnic violence, erupting on May 3, 2023, between Meitei and Kuki communities. 

Churachandpur became a hotspot of unrest, with widespread displacement, restricted movement, curfews, and breakdown of normal administration. Meitei workers and contractors from the valley (like Chirom Iboyaima from Imphal West) could not safely operate in hill areas post-May 2023. 

Reports indicate hundreds of PMGSY-related heavy machineries were lost, burnt, or stolen across hill districts during the crisis, over 423 machines valued at Rs. 70-80 crore statewide, severely halting works.

Amid this chaos, two unusually large bills emerged:

February 20, 2023 (pre-violence peak): Rs. 1,51,36,608 proposed, Rs. 1,08,00,000 approved after deductions.

June 28, 2023 (peak violence): Rs. 3,49,30,150 proposed by Executive Engineer (Churachandpur), Rs. 3,16,50,959 approved and transferred via OMMAS by Chief Engineer Pantishing Thaimei and Addl. Chief Engineer Kh. Rajen Singh (after Rs. 32,79,191 deduction).

The June payment, over Rs. 3 crore, is staggering. It occurred just two weeks after Iboyaima lodged a police complaint on June 13, 2023, reporting the loss of heavy machinery at the site (bulldozers D50 BEML MN01-7890 and MN01-5921, Case excavator, Dynapac roller, stone crusher, water tanker, etc.), leading to FIR No. 7(2)/2024 TLN-PS under relevant IPC sections.

How could such massive work be executed and billed in under four months from the prior bill, during peak violence when site access was impossible for the contractor's team? Physical verification would likely show minimal or no corresponding progress. 

Prior bills averaged far lower, making this spike implausible without inflated measurements or ghost work.Both approving chief engineers retired in December 2023, shortly after these transactions, adding to suspicions of hurried clearances.

Local resident Anthony Naulak from New Lamka filed complaints, pursued RTIs, issued legal notices to the Chief Engineer (RED/MSRRDA), and sought cancellation of the work order and bill withdrawals to prevent legal complications. 

A petition in Manipur High Court (WP(C) No. 303 of 2025) seeks recovery and accountability, though the contractor has not appeared, turning it into a civil matter that does not preclude criminal probes. This case fits broader patterns in PMGSY implementation in the State. 

The Thanlon project exemplifies how forgery enables ineligible players, lax oversight allows funds release, and crisis chaos provides cover for anomalous payouts. Rural communities in Thanlon AC suffer most: promised connectivity remains elusive, while crores vanish.

An independent probe, possibly by anti-corruption bodies or CBI, is urgent. Verify site status, audit bills against physical work, investigate forgeries, and hold officials/contractors accountable. 

Recover misappropriated funds, blacklist involved parties, and strengthen tender verification to safeguard future schemes.PMGSY is meant to bridge divides in Manipur's hills, not widen them through corruption. 

In a state scarred by violence and mistrust, such scandals erode faith in governance. Swift, transparent action is essential to reclaim public resources for genuine development. 


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