Following allegations against Meraki Entertainment Nagaland for failing to meet its obligations related to the singing competition “You Got The Voice Nagaland” Season 2, additional allegations and public statements have emerged in the past 24 hours.
In a public statement, Vikeshe Chishi, Mr. Nagaland International 2023; Aosunep Tzüdir, Mr. Dimapur 2022; Lizila, Miss Kiphire 2023; and Thushi, 2nd Runner-Up Mr. Dimapur Season 3, have made their cases public, detailing discrepancies with their prize money.
According to Chishi, although Meraki Entertainment had promised a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000, he received only Rs 50,000. Despite numerous inquiries and discussions with the organization, he was informed that the remainder of the prize money was allocated for his participation in Mr. India International. Chishi regretted that he was never sent to compete in the event and never received the outstanding balance.
Tzüdir also expressed his disappointment and frustration, stating that in May 2023, he personally paid the full registration fee of Rs 45,000 for Mr. India out of his own pocket. However, he discovered that Thritong, President of Meraki Entertainment Nagaland, had only paid half of the required amount for the registration. Tzüdir claimed that despite his efforts, the issue remained unresolved until recent events, with the president paying the outstanding amount only on the night of September 4, 2024.
Lizila mentioned that they were initially promised a prize of Rs 50,000 for the winner of Miss Kiphire, but the management later informed her that the first prize would only be Rs 30,000. She added that when she was declared the winner, she received only Rs 23,000.
Thushi reported that he was promised a cash prize of Rs 15,000 but has, to his disappointment, received only Rs 10,000 to date.
Meraki Entertainment Nagaland addresses payment delays
Meraki Entertainment Nagaland issued an official statement to address recent concerns regarding delayed payments to winners of a recent event (You Got The Voice Nagaland – Season 2). The organization confirmed that all pending payments were fully settled on September 5, 2024. They extended sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by the delay.
“It has also come to our attention that a social media post concerning the payment, which was intended to be removed after settlement, has not been taken down despite our formal requests to the responsible administrator on Instagram. We are pursuing appropriate steps to have this post removed at the earliest,” the statement issued on 5 September at around 12 noon read.
It further stated that Meraki Entertainment Nagaland is committed to settling all outstanding payments related to other events within the next seven (7) days.
“We take full responsibility for the inconvenience caused and assure that necessary measures are being implemented to prevent such occurrences in the future. This statement serves as an official and binding declaration from Meraki Entertainment Nagaland,” it added.
Meraki Entertainment Nagaland President apologizes
Thritong, President of Meraki Entertainment Nagaland, has publicly apologized for the recent inconveniences caused by the organization’s events. In a formal statement, Thritong took full responsibility for the setbacks and mismanagement that occurred.
“As the President of the organization, I take full responsibility for the setbacks and mismanagement that occurred,” Thritong said.
Thritong also said that while he had been dedicated to organizing shows with the goal of providing a platform for the talented youth of Nagaland, he admitted that not all of these events were profitable.
“Due to financial losses, I have been unable to fulfill the payments owed for some events. This is a failure on my part, and I deeply regret not being able to honor the commitments made,” he said.
Thritong acknowledged the frustration and disappointment experienced by participants due to the organization’s failure to meet its financial obligations. He expressed regret over not being able to honor the commitments made to event winners and participants.
“I will take greater care in planning and executing events to avoid any further inconveniences. I assured to the Naga Youths that the same thing won’t happen again in the future and my love, dedication and commitment and working for the upliftment for the Naga Youths will never change,” he continued.
“Once again, I apologize for the trouble caused and appreciate your understanding and support as I work towards better outcomes for Meraki Entertainment and the youth of Nagaland. Thank you for your patience,” he added.
Meraki Entertainment responds to MT
Following the official statement released, Meraki Entertainment (ME) also responded to queries from MT that were put forward on 4 September 2024 (before other public statements were made public).
In response to the query about why the delayed payment was not communicated earlier to stakeholders, prompting a public statement, ME stated:
“We acknowledge that we kept the winner waiting for their cash prize, and for that, we apologize. We never intended to withhold payment, but our upcoming major events this month and next month took priority. We are committed to settling the amount today.”
Regarding allegations made in the comment section of the public statement about Mr Dimapur, Miss Kiphire, and others, ME clarified: “Regarding the Mr Dimapur cash prize, we paid full just that we kept Rs 5000 as security for the state and national pageant.”
When asked whether the issue has now been amicably settled, ME responded: “Yes, we have already contacted the Sangtam Students Union. Everything will be settled today (5 September 2024).”
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