From Our Correspondent
TURA: Information sought by an RTI applicant into the implementation of the Centrally-sponsored Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) was allegedly ignored by the Public Information Officer who instead provided the applicant with just the plan project. MM Sangma, the RTI applicant from Dana Adugre village under Chokpot Development Block, had approached the Soil and Water Conservation department’s Public Information Officer (PIO), Limberth N Marak, who also holds the post of Divisional Officer of Baghmara.
Sangma had asked for detailed information as to when the sanction order was given, the bank account number and transaction of the project and the beneficiaries including statement incurred so far on the work, among others.
Details were sought for the Dareng watershed scheme at Dana Adugre, Bugi watershed scheme at Bugigre, and Rongdi watershed scheme at Wagi Chiringgre. Each of the projects is estimated at Rs 75 lakh and fall under the IWDP-1 projects of South Garo Hills.
The information was sought on the basis that the five year project was introduced to Chokpot as early as 2009 and is due for completion by 2014. However, the PIO allegedly failed to provide any of the details sought and instead handed over just the action plan called ‘Project Phasing and Budgeting’ to the RTI applicant.
“There were two applications sought by the concerned person and one was rejected since the name of the project did not tally with our schemes being implemented. The necessary detail of the other project was provided to him,” claimed the PIO. However, the RTI applicant alleges a cover up since the action plan project is just the preparatory work for the phase wise work and allocation of funds.
“It is three years since the project was allotted to Chokpot but there is nothing on the ground except that the department distributed between 200-300 rubber saplings for each household in those villages where the scheme is supposed to be implemented. We want to know what has happened to such a big Central project meant to benefit our area,” said the RTI applicant, who also goes on to add that the officer allegedly threatened to cancel the scheme in his village if he continued seeking queries. The IWMP is aimed at providing sustainable livelihood to the people by simultaneously enriching the land under which falls the project.