Serves 10-day ultimatum to respond to pending RTIs
Dimapur District Congress Committee (DDCC) has levelled serious allegations of large-scale mismanagement and misuse of funds in the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department, particularly concerning several ongoing construction projects and healthcare infrastructure in Dimapur, Niuland, and Chümoukedima districts.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress Bhavan here Thursday, DDCC president Kutoho Chishi said the party had filed multiple RTI applications seeking details on projects under the department, including the ongoing construction of District Hospital Dimapur (DHD) and the up-gradation of the School of Nursing to College of Nursing. However, he claimed that the responses received were “unsatisfactory and contradictory”.
Chishi informed that even after appealing to the First Appellate Authority (FAA), the committee found discrepancies in expenditure details and project progress.
According to DDCC president, the department claimed to have spent around Rs 6 crore, but the work at DHD remained incomplete, despite the projected 2023 completion date.
During physical verification of the site, DDCC president said members questioned the claim of the contractor who claimed that 65% of construction was complete.
Chishi also said that quality of work was extremely poor, saying walls have already developed cracks. “When questioned on the poor workmanship, the contractor maintained that the work was executed as per the department’s directives,” he stated.
Citing examples, he said construction of a pouring well reportedly at the cost of Rs. 61 lakh, boundary walls constructed at nearly Rs. 1 crore. “These figures don’t match the quality or visible output on the ground,” Chishi alleged, adding a laboratory construction worth Rs 99 lakh also showed signs of substandard material use.
Further, Chishi said that Kuhuboto PHC staff quarters, which was completed in 2021, was currently lying abandoned and overgrown with weeds. “There are no staff and the building floods during rainfall. How can we progress with such negligence?” DDCC president questioned. Also, expressing concerns over the lack of doctors in Niuland, he said that many patients were sent back since no doctors were present.
DDCC president has, therefore, urged the people to come out of their comfort zones and stand up against corruption. “If we don’t, the state government would eat away all public’s rights,” he said.
Asked about the ongoing debate regarding the lifting of Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act in Dimapur, he said that DDCC would refrain from commenting as the matter would be handled by the higher authorities.
On RTI filed regarding the Town Hall project, Chishi said the state government was yet to respond.
He said that DDCC’s legal team was following due process and assured that the party would not leave the issue until justice was done.
Meanwhile, Chishi has informed that DDCC would serve 10-day ultimatum on health department to respond to all pending RTIs, failing which DDCC would organize a public dharna at DHD.
DDCC general secretary Kumjimong also highlighted irregularities and mismanagement in several sub-centres across Dimapur, Niuland, and Chümoukedima. He claimed that many sub-centres were “non-functional” and operating without doctors or trained nurses.
Citing Unity Sub-Centre, reportedly completed in 2022, he stated that the centre was “hijacked by a private individual and shut down”, and questioned how a private party could close a government facility.
He said that after meeting the landowner, it was learnt that the department had misled the landowner by promising a fourth-grade job, only to later claim that such posts could only be given through examinations.
He said that similar issues were observed in several villages, where sub-centres were either incomplete or operating out of buildings belonging to other departments.
Kumjimong also raised concerns over the absence of a District Hospital in Niuland district. He said that only one Primary Health Centre (PHC) with two irregular doctors serve the entire district.
Presenting findings from RTIs and surveys conducted at the Dimapur Blood Bank, DDCC media secretary Andrew alleged overcharging for basic blood testing services.
“Blood testing is charged between Rs 450 and Rs 500 per unit, which is unaffordable for citizens under the BPL category. Some of these tests can be done free of cost, yet exorbitant fees are being collected. This is daylight robbery,” he stated.