ZVC terms RTI reply by PHED as ‘absolute lie’

Zhadima Village Council (ZVC) has termed the RTI reply given by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) as “absolute lie” against the water supply project report sanctioned under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
In a statement, ZVC chairman Neilalhoulie Soliezuo and village development board secretary, Roko Angami, said the reply by the PHED was “quite conflicting” since “not a single water tank(s)” was constructed nor any pipeline laid in any of the locations of the beneficiary villages from where water could be distributed.
ZVC further clarified that it neither demanded or requested the department for more water tank(s) as stated and termed PHE’s reply as an “absolute lie”.
ZVC said the Zhadima Village and its neighbouring beneficiary villages had only wanted the PHE department to complete the project that would cater to 24 villages under Chiephobozou RD block.
ZVC and its neighboring villages had stopped the commissioning of the project on July 30, 2019 as it was incomplete and lacked credibility as there were numerous lapses in providing water supply to the earmarked villages, the statement said.
ZVC said that the tall promises made by the minister on the same day to fully complete and commission the project latest by December 2019 was still unfulfilled.
Stating that they had been taken for granted, the council however reminded that they would fight tooth and nail for what was due to them.
It said the concerned department was trying to play a cut throat game whereby it was trying to placate the masses with false RTI replies while trying to subjugate the innocent villagers off their basic rights.
Further, the village council appealed to the Lokayukta to sincerely and judiciously investigate the lapses and anomalies of the project.
It also urged the state government to bring in the highest investigating authority of the country to examine the project which was still lying unattended.
Speaking to Nagaland Post on this issue, Zhadima village youth president and also Northern Angami-C youth and sports organisation president, Vizosielie Khoubve said the department (PHED) had made Zhadima village a scapegoat and an excuse for their failures in commissioning the water supply project.
He said the claims made by the department were fabricated and does not hold any water since the village council never asked for additional tank as claimed by the department.
He clarified that the only wish of the village and the other beneficiaries was for the department to fully complete the project and commission it at the earliest as many people were struggling to find enough water supply to meet their daily requirements.