Dimapur, December 15 (MExN): The Nagaland Transparency Public Rights and Development Association Organisation (NTPRADAO) has announced its next course of action, alleging that the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has failed to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a Departmental Inquiry Commission, as assured by Minister Jacob Zhimomi during a live press conference on October 20, 2024.
In a press statement, the NTPRADAO outlined a multi-pronged strategy to push forward its demands, vowing to sustain its agitation until achieving a “significant and impactful resolution.”
The organisation stated that its first step would involve submitting a letter, along with what it described as “relevant JJM scam documents,” to the BJP National President and the Prime Minister.
The letter will reportedly demand the resignation of PHED Minister on moral grounds and call for a Central Vigilance Commission inquiry into Principal Secretary Mhonthamo Patton.
The second step will include submitting a memorandum detailing alleged corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to the Governor of Nagaland, it said.
The organisation plans to request that the memorandum be forwarded to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, it added.
As a final measure, the NTPRADAO said it would mobilise public support for protests and mass agitations to demand immediate resignation of PHED Minister Jacob Zhimomi and the suspension of Principal Secretary.
It will also demand legal action against former PHED Chief Engineers Repangyangba Longkumer and N Thsathrichem Sangtam (who served between 2019–2023), the NTPRADAO stated.
It will also include demand for suspension of all Executive Engineers, past and present, alleged to be involved in corrupt practices during the same period.
The organisation asserted that it would persist in its demands until those responsible are prosecuted and held accountable under the law.
Meanwhile, NTPRADAO criticised the PHED for its alleged inaction, contrasting it with the Rural Development (RD) Department’s response to similar allegations in 2023.
According to the organisation, when concerns were raised about the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) under the “Housing for All 2022” scheme, the RD Department promptly constituted an SIT/Inquiry Commission.
The RD Department, it claimed, conducted a thorough investigation, submitted a detailed report on August 28, 2023, and ensured that funds were disbursed to 965 beneficiaries who had been left unpaid.
The NTPRADAO lauded the RD Department’s approach as a “win-win situation for all stakeholders.”
As part of its planned agitation, the NTPRADAO said it would demand the freezing of further JJM funding from the central government and file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for greater impact.
Reiterating its commitment to justice, the organisation declared that it would “fight relentlessly” to ensure that appropriate action is taken against those it accuses of corruption in the PHED.
