The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has filed an FIR with Raliang police over alleged irregularities in the implementation of a Swachh Bharat project to construct individual household latrines.
In the FIR, the HITO Sahsniang unit claimed that it had learnt through Right to Information (RTI) queries that the Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) of Sahsniang Saitthad had received Rs 8.28 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for the construction of latrines in 2016-17 and 2019-20 respectively. This was meant to cover a total of 194 households. The scheme was sanctioned by the Public Health Engineering executive engineer (RWS) of West Jaiñtia Hills.
The work for 2016-17 was, according to an official report, found to be completed satisfactorily, while the 2019-20 work was 80 percent complete. However, HITO said that even the construction that was said to have been done was unsatisfactory as bamboo had been used instead of rods and concrete slabs in the construction and some residents had complained that the height of the latrine doors was too low.
The VWSC was then instructed to reconstruct the latrines with concrete slabs and proper doors, as per the sanctioned scheme but this has yet to be done, even 18 months on.
HITO also claimed that many households that were listed as beneficiaries of the project, had not received any such benefit.
“Therefore,” HITO said, “it is obvious that the report submitted by the Block Coordinator is false and misconstrued.”
HITO added that the actions of the VWSC Sahsniang Saitthad are illegal and reek of corruption and complacence.
