New Delhi/Imphal, Oct 8 (NationPress) The opposition Congress party has raised serious allegations regarding a multi-crore scam amounting to several hundred crores occurring in Manipur under the centrally sponsored scheme Jal Jeevan Mission. They are demanding a court-monitored investigation into the matter.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Inner Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, alleged that despite claims from the Jal Shakti Ministry stating that approximately 80 percent of rural households in Manipur have been provided with tap water, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

Akoijam has lodged a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Manipur High Court to initiate a court-monitored probe into the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the state. This PIL seeks a comprehensive audit of the funds allocated and used under JJM, a verification of the household tap water connections claimed by the government, and the acknowledgment of access to safe drinking water as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, ensuring a minimum of two hours of daily tap water supply per household statewide.

While addressing the media at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Akoijam revealed that he personally visited several villages to verify the government's claims. He expressed his shock upon discovering significant discrepancies between the official statements and the actual situation on the ground.

He reported that even the pipes had not been installed prior to his inquiry, claiming that it was only after he raised the issue that the administration began laying the pipes. This observation, he argued, contradicts the government’s assertions that the work had been completed and tap water was being supplied.

The Congress MP lamented that it is regrettable the state has been exploited during a time of crisis, with violence rampant. He shared that in every village he visited, not a single household had a working tap water supply, starkly opposing the official claims.

Akoijam emphasized that this points to a systemic issue of data manipulation and misappropriation of funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Manipur.

Furthermore, he noted that even before his village visits, multiple complaints from various districts had raised similar concerns. He remarked that these consistent discrepancies across districts indicate potential large-scale misuse of public funds, a lack of accountability, and failures in monitoring by the implementing agencies.