The Kacharigaon (Phevima) Village Council (KVC) has raised serious allegations of corruption against the Rural Development (RD) department, accusing officials of demanding illegal kickbacks from funds disbursed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
During a press conference held at the KVC Panchayat Hall on June 7, KVC chairman Vitho Zao claimed that the department had instructed the Village Development Board (VDB) to collect and remit 30% of the wage component meant for Job Card holders and 50% of the material component back to the department. The council convened an emergency general meeting on May 31, where villagers unanimously decided not to comply with the demand. A formal communication was sent to the Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency, Dimapur, on June 3, expressing the council’s decision.
Under MGNREGA guidelines, job card holders are entitled to Rs. 234 per day, now disbursed via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Zao revealed that in the financial year 2023–24, the council handed over Rs. 6,78,255 in cash to the department but did not receive any official receipt, leading to public suspicion that the funds were misappropriated by the council itself.
Raising questions about the legality of such demands, Zao condemned the act as ‘daylight extortion’ and called on the State government and relevant authorities to investigate the matter. He questioned whether any directive existed from the central government permitting such deductions from beneficiary funds and urged authorities to safeguard the entitlements meant for villagers.
Highlighting the broader impact of such practices, the KVC called upon all village councils across Nagaland’s 1,285 villages to collectively oppose what they termed an institutionalized form of corruption. According to the council, if they failed to return the demanded percentage from the wage component, the same would be forcibly adjusted from the material component.
On the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme in the village, Zao stated that water pipes had been lying unused since last year at the council hall, and no funds had been received for the required civil works.
Addressing questions on why no FIR was lodged, VDB secretary Kevishel Viswentso explained that failure to comply with the demands often resulted in Job Cards not being uploaded, effectively denying villagers work and funds. He alleged that the department coerced the VDB secretary to sign documents falsely confirming that beneficiaries had received the full amount, and reiterated that all payments had to be made in cash, with no official receipts issued.
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Viswentso expressed deep concern over being forced to participate in what he called a corrupted system, even stating he was willing to resign from his post rather than misappropriate beneficiary funds. He clarified that the council’s stance was not directed at individuals but was a stand against systemic corruption. He further revealed that while 400 households exist in the village, only 140 genuine beneficiaries are enrolled under MGNREGA.
In response to a query on the VDB Association’s involvement, he stated he was unaware of any meetings being held to discuss the issue.
Kacharigaon (Phevima) is reportedly the first among Nagaland’s villages to publicly speak out on the matter, which the council hopes will spark wider resistance against alleged corrupt practices in the implementation of rural development schemes.
