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New Delhi/Imphal, Oct 8 (IANS) The opposition Congress on Wednesday alleged a scam worth several hundred crore rupees has taken place in Manipur under the centrally sponsored scheme Jal Jeevan Mission and demanded a court-monitored probe.
Angomcha Bimol Akoizam, Congress’ Lok Sabha MP from Interior Manipur parliamentary constituency, claimed that Jal Shakti Ministry data shows that nearly 80 per cent of rural households in Manipur have been provided with tap water, but there is nothing on the ground.
Akoizam said he has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Manipur High Court, seeking a court-monitored inquiry into the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the state. He said the PIL sought a district-wise comprehensive audit of funds sanctioned and utilized under JJM; Verification of domestic tap water connection claims made by the Government; and recognition of access to safe drinking water as part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, with a minimum guarantee of two hours of tap water supply per day per household across the State.
Speaking to the media at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, the Congress MP revealed that he had personally visited several villages and tried to verify and verify the claims made in the government records. The academician-turned-politician was surprised to find that there were serious discrepancies between official claims and ground reality.
Even the pipes were not laid, he claimed, adding that it was only after he raised the issue that the administration started laying the pipes. Akoizam said this belies the government’s own claims. On one hand, it is claimed that the work has been completed and tap water has been provided to the people, while the government has started laying pipes. In reality, the pipe laying work has just started.
The Congress MP said it was unfortunate that “the state was looted at a time when it was going through tragic times, with violence happening everywhere”. Giving details of the villages he visited, the Congress leader revealed that in each village, not a single house was reported to have operational tap water supply, contrary to official claims.
Akoijam said this points to a “systemic issue of data manipulation and misuse of funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Manipur”.
The senior Congress leader said that even before his visit to various villages, several complaints from different districts had highlighted similar irregularities. They found that these recurring discrepancies across districts indicate massive misuse of public funds, lack of accountability and failure in monitoring mechanisms by implementing agencies.
–IANS
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