Editor,
I must congratulate Highland Post for carrying the news report on the massive alleged corruption indulged by the PHE in implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Garo Hills as alleged by Sofior Raman former MDC.
The news was carried by the English daily (Highland Post) on January 12 in which it was mentioned clearly that not a single water tap was provided in as many as 26 villages in Nekikona area so also no main pipelines were provided. It was also alleged that Rs 51 crore of money was paid to the contractor for the work allotted as far back as in December 2021. Then the same horrible story is told about Balbigre Water Supply Scheme and Sakmal Combined Water Supply Scheme which involved many villages without any pipelines and tap water services yet money was released to the tune of more than Rs 48 crore to the same Hyderabad based contractor.
In this connection I am very much inclined to believe what Safior Rahman has revealed through his complaint letter to the Central Vigilance Commission that there was very much the unholy dealing between higher ups of the PHE and the contractor. Further, I must make known here that these types of bogus or defective implementations have happened in other parts of Meghalaya also. I have even received many reports from quite a number of village authorities that the defective implementation of the JJM flagship package by the State nodal agency (PHE Department) has already run for many years now and has gone deep in this modus operandi.
There are many instances where instead of using GI pipes the contractors have used PVC or hose pipes where implementation is not only faulty, full of discrepancies and irregularities but bogus and a big hoax. Yet these nefarious exercises are allowed freely by those in authority without any qualms of conscience. Because, who cares as long as he gets what he wants. We, the people of Meghalaya, have allowed these things for too long in almost everything. Hence, our State has descended to a point of no hope to rise, only to fall further. But I am not a pessimist but let us all fight against corruption in all its forms because this is the greatest cause for our downfall or even doom as a State.
Philip Marweiñ,
Senior Journalist,
Shillong.
