TA&Hills

 Fund embezzlement, prolonged centralization dog Tribal Affairs & Hills Dept in Ukhrul

UKHRUL, Dec 16,020: Much contrary to the stated objectives to work for development of the tribals, the existence of Tribal Affairs and Hills (TA&H) Department in Ukhrul district has been rendered meaningless without being assigned any developmental schemes for the tribals worth its name.

Years of continued centralization coupled with unbridled embezzlement of funds by unscrupulous officials has been largely blamed for the sorry state of affairs within the department.

The disturbing revelation came to light when TOM TV conducted an independent investigation into the alleged anomalies besetting the department for years.

Though the government claimed that the TA&H department has been decentralized in line with other government departments, all developmental schemes meant for the tribals are being implemented from the State Directorate office in Imphal, according to a highly placed source.

Disclosing that TA&H Ukhrul is left in the dark about any schemes implemented by the department from time to time except Scholarship funds distribution, sources told TOM TV that the district department has been made a dummy one with only three staffs consist of DO in charge cum deputy director base at Imphal, AE and one LDC to guard the empty offfice chambers at Ukhrul mini Secretariat currently. 

It is learnt that Centre is providing various schemes like health care, water supply, housing, animal husbandry, inter village road connectivity etc under the department but the State government has continually left the district department out of the implementation aspect.

At the same time, the contract for building of staff quarters and subsequent repairing of the department's old office building located at Phungreitang East near 6th Manipur Riffles headquarters has been a playing card for some unscrupulous departmental officials to indulge in fund embezzlement.

Sources informed that both the contract works were covertly executed by certain contractors working hand in gloves with high ranking officials of the directorate at Imphal some 15-20 years ago, it adds. 

However, the quarters have not been built with just a single wall erected, while mere whitewash was found done as repairing though bills for the works were drawn a year or decades ago sources added.

Even the contract amount was not disclosed to the district department, sources alleged. Surprisingly, the quarter's wall was found erected above the old office building whose pillars are already crumbling from years of neglect.

Sources said that owing to fear of the ramshackle building crumbling and leaking, the department shifted to the district mini secretariat in 2012 .

The department of TA&H aims for protection of ST people from atrocities through the provisions made under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities), Act.1989, apart from promoting Socio economic condition of the ST people through implementation of various developmental programmes and it is also supposed to preserve rich cultural heritage of the ST people through systematic collection, documentation and preservation through Tribal Research Institution.