Senapati, September 13: Representatives of the major Naga tribal communities in Senapati district — Poumai, Mao, Maram, Zeliangrong, and Thangal, have submitted an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking urgent intervention into alleged misappropriation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) “Har Ghar Jal” scheme and non-implementation of development projects in the district.
Led by social activist Shri R. K. Paul Chawang, the appeal outlined the realities of deprivation, corruption, and neglect faced by rural communities in Senapati.
“The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme, launched under your visionary leadership to provide safe drinking water to every rural household, has been grossly misappropriated in Senapati District. Instead of bringing relief, the scheme has been reduced to a symbol of corruption and betrayal,” the letter stated.
Key Findings from Fact-Finding and RTI Investigations:
1. Zero Functional Household Tap Connections: The fact-finding team claimed that in all 135 villages of Senapati District, not a single household has received a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC). However, the official JJM Dashboard (ejalshakti.gov.in) misleadingly shows full coverage, based on allegedly fabricated and misinformed data uploaded by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Senapati Division.
2. RTI and DPR Evidence:RTI applications and Detailed Project Reports from 30 villages reportedly reveal glaring mismatches between sanctioned funds and actual work on the ground, pointing to systematic corruption and siphoning of public money.
3. Fraudulent Ground Execution: In several villages, contractors under PHED supervision allegedly constructed isolated cement taps without any pipeline connections. These taps, standing unused, were cited as physical proof of fraudulent implementation.
4. Collapse of Other Welfare Schemes: The team also highlighted failures in other schemes:
• Education: Government schools in most villages remain defunct, lacking teachers and facilities, depriving children of education.
• Healthcare: Primary Health Centres are either absent or non-functional, leaving families without basic healthcare.
• Road Connectivity (PMGSY): Roads built under PMGSY were of poor quality, often failing within one season and cutting villages off from essential services.
5. Violation of Fundamental Rights: Denial of clean water, education, healthcare, and connectivity has forced the rural communities into hardship. Women and children bear the greatest burden, walking long distances for water and healthcare. Such neglect, it said, amounts to a “gross violation of fundamental rights and dignity.”
In their letter, the tribal representatives urged Prime Minister Modi to:
• Order a Prime Ministerial-level independent enquiry by a central agency into the implementation of JJM and other schemes in Senapati.
• Initiate strict punitive action against officials, contractors, and individuals responsible for misappropriation of funds.
• Ensure accountability, transparency, and effective delivery of all central schemes so that rural citizens of Manipur’s hill districts receive their rightful share of development.
“We place our utmost faith in your leadership to safeguard the rights of the most marginalized citizens and to ensure that the true spirit of your government’s vision reaches the last village and the last household,” the letter concluded.
