Mokokchung, September 23 (MTNews): The Public Grievances Department of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has on Friday alleged that there was “serious financial mismanagement and irregularities” in the Nirbhaya Fund for Sakhi – One Stop Centers in Nagaland.
In a press release, the Public Grievances Department of NPCC stated that through an RTI filed on August 2, 2021 it had sought details about the project from the Directorate of Social Welfare Department. Accordingly, NPCC stated that as per the RTI reply, the Department of Social Welfare received Rs 48,69,372/- uniformly for the construction of One Stop Center for 10 districts and Rs 45,88,047/- for Dimapur District which was debited directly to the Deputy Commissioners of all the 11 districts.
With this information, NPCC said it went to the Chief Information Commission’s Court to “intervene and to deliver justice to get all the documents from the concerned authorities who were engaged for One Stop Center construction.” After 3 rounds of hearing, the NPCC said the “compilations report” of all the One Stop Centers was received on September 1, 2022 from the Directorate of Social Welfare Department. Meanwhile, in this regard, the Public Grievances Department (NPCC) said its team also went for physical spot verification.
In due course of cross examinations of the documents, NPCC said it found “serious financial mismanagement and irregularities by the Government in the Department.” NPCC informed that on 16th February 2021, the starred Nagaland Assembly question No.6 asked about the total sanctioned amount received by the Department for Nirbhaya Fund for One Stop Center (Sakhi) from the Govt of India to which Chief Minister and Minister in charge of the Social Welfare Department gave the figure of Rs 11,36,20,880 in his reply.
According to the NPCC press release, the amount was sanctioned by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, GoI under Nirbhaya Fund for (Sakhi) One Stop Center Scheme w.e.f 2015-16 till date for 11 districts, namely: Dimapur, Kohima, Kiphire, Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon, Peren, Phek, Tuensang, Wokha and Zunheboto.
“With this ground realities of the Nairbhayan Fund One Stop Centers (Sakhi) project fund having to be misused by the Government, also the 11 Districts Administration were compelled to complete their projects with Rs 5,86,81,767/- which is the half of the total amount sanctioned by GoI,” NPCC stated in the press release.
“Nagaland Legislative Assembly starred question No.6 reply the total amount received from GoI is Rs 11,36,20,880 whereas, as per the RTI reply of the Directorate of Social Welfare Department against the total project cost was Rs 5,86,81,767 only, which shows the clear differences of Rs 5,49,39,113 from the total sanctioned amount received from (GOI) for the said project,” the NPCC press release explained.
“In this regard the Public grievances Department (NPCC) has decided to go further until justice is delivered against the mismanagement, clarification and justification made from the Department,” the press release said.
It went on to say that the Public Grievances Department (NPCC) has also sought from the Minister in charge to clarify the “differences of the total sanction received from GoI and the total sanction made available to the 11 Districts Administration for the said above projects with all the technicalities.”
NPCC has, meanwhile, thanked the Chief Information Commission for taking up the matter to get all the required documents on time. It also thanked the Directorate of Social Welfare officials for “monitoring all the 11 district administrations which have received the fund for the construction and completed the projects in all the districts.”