Alongtaki Congress alleges discrepancies in sanctioned projects

KOHIMA — The 30-Alongtaki Assembly Constituency Congress Committee (ACCC) on Saturday alleged widespread discrepancies in several government-funded projects across the constituency, claiming serious gaps between sanctioned works, issued work orders and ground verification.

Briefing the media after releasing a set of RTI documents, ACCC general secretary (Administration) of 30-Alongtaki, Tinuakum, said that projects worth several crores—spanning healthcare infrastructure, community assets, road upgrades and livelihood equipment—show “alarming inconsistency” between official records and actual execution.

Most of the projects, he said, fall under the Tribal Affairs department’s schemes, while some are funded through LADP.

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According to the committee, while the bridge on Longchem–Saring route has been completed, the sanctioned road upgradation—approved for INR 1.5 crore in 2022–23—remains unexecuted even after the 24-month completion period.

It also flagged the case of a medical rest house at Merangmen, sanctioned for INR 2 crore under Article 275(1) in 2020–21, which could not be traced during field visits. Villagers reportedly told the team they had “no knowledge” of any such facility, raising concerns over utilisation of the sanctioned amount.

Hospital and community halls

Citing slowed progress at the INR 3-crore medical hospital project in Moayimti, the ACCC sought clarity on fund release and completion timelines. The project showed initial work but has since stalled, with no visible movement in recent months, it added.

On community infrastructure, it stated that three community halls—sanctioned for Lirmen, Medemyim and Yajang B at a combined cost of INR 1.5 crore in 2022–23—showed mixed results.

While halls at Medemyim and Yajang B were found completed, no new structure could be located at Lirmen during verification.

The ACCC also questioned the status of the proposed INR 1-crore multipurpose hall at Lakhuni village, pointing to incomplete information on both progress and specifications.

Further, it alleged irregularities in the distribution of four ambulances sanctioned under Tribal Affairs and LADP schemes. According to the committee, only two ambulances have reached the constituency, with no clarity on the fate of the remaining units.

‘Fake’ completion certificate

One of the most concerning findings, the ACCC said, was an LADP project for construction of eight units of footsteps in Japukong range, sanctioned for INR 17 lakh in 2022–23. Despite a completion certificate issued by authorities, no footsteps could be located on the ground.

The ACCC added that the photograph supplied through the RTI response could not be matched to any location visited. The image also lacked geo-tagging or identifiable markers, raising further doubts about its authenticity.

The committee further claimed that ten paper plate-making machines, sanctioned under the Industries & Commerce department for INR 18 lakh in 2022–23, were not found during field verification. No beneficiary or village authority could confirm receipt of the machines.

Urging the state government to “ensure sincerity in public development,” the ACCC demanded immediate verification of the cited projects and corrective action wherever funds may have been misallocated or misused.