Allegations of ‘fund misappropriation’ in Shakoikuna River Valley Project
NONGPOH, Jan 29: Several villagers of Shakoikun have expressed dissatisfaction over an inspection conducted by a magistrate following allegations of Rs one crore misappropriation in the Shakoikuna River Valley Project.
The inspection, ordered by the deputy commissioner of Ri-Bhoi, was carried out on Wednesday amid growing concerns over fund misuse under the RIDF XXVI (2021-22) scheme, funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
The controversy surfaced after an RTI inquiry revealed that the project had been officially marked as completed. However, numerous villagers contested this claim, stating that they had not benefited from the project.
Frustrated by the discrepancies, they lodged a formal complaint with the deputy commissioner, demanding an investigation.
Speaking to media persons, Barnabas Maring thanked the deputy commissioner for initiating the inspection and noted that the inquiry followed shortly after the villagers raised their concerns.
He, however, alleged that the new report submitted by the Soil & Water Conservation Department contained inconsistencies and did not align with the RTI findings.
He pointed out that the names of beneficiaries had been altered in official records, contradicting the information obtained through the RTI.
Meanwhile, the villagers plan to submit a fresh complaint to uncover the truth.
Maring also emphasised that the villagers expect a fair investigation but warned that if the final report failed to reflect the ground realities, they will be compelled to take further action to safeguard their rights.
Notably, some villagers, listed as beneficiaries in the RTI report, expressed frustration, claiming that the magistrate and officials failed to visit their areas to verify the implementation of the project.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the inspection, one Jermel Makri accused village headman Henry Nongrum of selectively guiding officials only to areas where the project was partially constructed or completed while deliberately avoiding sites where work remained unfinished.
Another resident alleged that his designated project worksite was reassigned to someone else without his knowledge.
He further claimed that, despite official records stating the project was completed as of August 17, 2023, no work had been done at his site. As a result, he had to initiate the work on his own using personal funds.
He also noted that several others in the village faced similar issues, with project benefits failing to reach the intended recipients.