Dimapur, September 23 (MExN): The Public Grievances Department (PGD) of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Friday drew attention to alleged anomalies in the amounts sanctioned for the construction of Sakhi-One Stop Centres in Nagaland under the Government of India’s Nirbhaya Fund.
Citing information received under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the PGD pointed out a difference of more than Rs 5 crore in the amount sanctioned by the Government of India and the amount stated by the Directorate of Social Welfare Department in its reply to an RTI application filed on August 2, 2021, and compilation reports received from the Directorate on September 1.
Basing on these replies, the PGD co-chairperson Kedou Wetsah and member Imkongmeren Jamir stated in a press release, that the Department had received a uniform Rs 48,69,372 for construction of the Sakhi OSC in 10 districts while the amount was Rs 45,88,047 for Dimapur district. The amounts were directly credited to the respective Deputy Commissioners of 11 districts, it said.
However, in due course of the cross examination of the documents, the PGD claimed to have found “serious financial mismanagement and irregularities by the Government in the Department.”
It said that on February 16, 2021, in a reply to a starred question during the Nagaland Legislative Assembly session, the Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Social Welfare Department had said that Rs 11,36,20,880 was sanctioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India under the Nirbhaya Fund for Sakhi- One Stop Centre Scheme with effect from 2015-16. The fund was for 11 districts namely Dimapur, Kohima, Kiphire, Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon, Peren, Phek, Tuensang, Wokha, and Zunheboto.
Explaining further, the PGD pointed out that as per the Directorate of Social Welfare Department’s reply, a total of Rs 5,86,81,767 was received for the total project as against the Rs 11,36,20,880 stated by the Chief Minister in the Assembly, “which shows the clear difference of Rs 5,49,39,113.”
The PGD thus sought clarification from the Minister in-charge on the difference of amount sanctioned by the Government of India and the amount made available to the 11 district administrations, and also stated that it has decided to go further until “justice is delivered against the mismanagement, clarification and justification made from the Department.”
