Dima Hasao: Whistle blower points to suspected anomaly of crores in drinking water project

HAFLONG: A suspected financial anomaly amounting to at least Rs. 8 crore in the education sector in Dima Hasao district during the financial year 2020-21 is coming to the fore. This fund was allegedly allocated to provide drinking water facilities to 198 LP and ME schools in the district.

The amount was allegedly allocated to the School Management Committees (SMC) by the Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Mission for the schools under the education department of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council. A total of 198 schools were selected and provided with Rs. 4.5 lakhs each during the financial year 2020-2021 under the project.

In a two-part series, InsideNE looks into details. 

 Drinking water facilities only in papers?

The NC Hills Autonomous Council, in its 238th session on July 27, stated that under a project of the Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Mission, a sum of Rs. 4.5 lakh has been deposited to the School Management Committees (SMCs) of 198 schools for providing drinking water facilities.

As per the project water purifiers needed to be installed in the selected schools.

The Council in a written answer submitted in the floor of the assembly has stated that 40% to 80% of work has been completed in all these schools. It also released the name of the schools and progress of installation of drinking water facilities in percentage.

The data was revealed by Nandita Garlosa, Executive Member of the education department after Daniel Langthasa, an elected member of the council asked to reveal the progress of the work.

Nandita Garlosa is also the current MLA of the Haflong constituency in the Dima Hasao district. She belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, when Daniel Langthasa, the whistleblower, started visiting the schools, he found the reality different from what was stated in the session.

A sample verification in 15 schools by Langthasa has revealed that the work of installation of drinking water facilities has not even started in many schools as against the report of progress submitted by Nandita Garlosa.

[caption id="attachment_98927" align="alignnone" width="1280"] A school in Dima Hasao district listed under SSA project without drinking water facilities[/caption]

 Talking to InsideNE, Daniel Lagthasa said, “After receiving the answer in the session, I along with a team of locals started visiting those schools where it was mentioned that 60-80% work has been completed. But to my utter surprise work was not even started.”

The project was supposed to be completed in the financial year 2020-21.

Whistle Blower creates fun videos of anomaly:

To catch the attention to the massive anomalies of fund, Langthasa started making videos under the name “ Development Maker Vlog”, in an amusing way by deliberately copying another popular video blogger English Maker.

https://www.facebook.com/ne.inside/videos/211258990967835

Langthsa has also written a letter to the Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Mission urging an enquiry into the matter.

“It has come to my knowledge that in most of the schools, 80% of the allocated funds have already been withdrawn by the respective SMCs without doing any work but reported to the concerned authorities as work already been initiated or completed. Such practice of the SMCs is highly dubious, falsified and a meter of great concern.”

Copy of the letter:

(The next part of the series to come up with more fact findings, reaction from NC hills Autonomous Council, District Mission Coordinator of Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan, and School Management Committees.)