Tura, Sept 23: A First Information Report (FIR) against the contractor of Gare Songmong JJM, Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials in Williamnagar, and a third-party inspector for alleged corruption and malpractices in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) project in Gare Songmong and adjoining areas.

“Hence, I request you to kindly register this FIR against the accused persons, conduct a thorough investigation, and take strict legal action as per law,” Tengba Marak, a resident of Gare Songmong village in South Garo Hills district said in the FIR filed with the Nongalbibra police station on Tuesday.

Marak alleged, “That under the Government’s flagship scheme Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), drinking water project has been sanctioned and implemented for the people of Gare Songmong and adjoining areas. However, the said contractor, in connivance with officials of the PHE Department Williamnagar and the third-party inspector, has indulged in large-scale corruption and malpractices by executing the project in a poor and substandard manner.”

He further stated that the pipelines laid are of inferior quality, the construction is faulty, and many households are yet to receive functional tap connections despite completion certificates being issued adding that the funds sanctioned by the government are being misused, and the project implementation is only on paper while in reality the public is being deprived of their rightful access to safe drinking water.

Subsequently, Marak pointed out that the constructed tanks are abandoned without water where mud and sand are filled with grass overgrown no water running for even a week from the date of completion of the project.

“Signatures from the villagers are collected to withdraw the funds in deceptive and fraudulent manner without proper procedure and awareness thereof,” he further alleged while asserting that “this clearly establishes the intentional corruption, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and misuse of public funds by the concerned contractor, department officials, and third-party inspector, which is punishable under relevant laws.”

Also Read: Shillong’s water future may depend on village councils, new study finds

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub