Kohima: The Dimapur District Congress Committee is calling for full transparency regarding the Palna scheme under Mission Shakti. Following a response to a Right to Information query, the committee claims the Social Welfare Department provided only summary documents. These partial records fail to account for how public funds are actually spent. The committee wants the full paper trail exposed.
Key financial records, including payment vouchers, bank ledgers, and PFMS details, remain missing. The department provided consolidated expenditure figures, but these do not allow for independent verification. Detailed transaction trails for honorariums paid to crèche and Anganwadi workers are also absent. The committee noted that rent payments were a key component of the funding, yet no lease agreements or landlord receipts were shared.
Procurement records also show significant gaps. The department listed materials intended for centers but failed to provide invoices, supply orders, or delivery proof. Recruitment processes remain equally opaque. The committee noted a lack of candidate marks, committee minutes, and official selection records for hired staff. The DDCC stressed that these findings are not currently allegations of theft. Instead, they represent gaps in the official record. The committee said, "Public welfare schemes intended for children, mothers, Anganwadi beneficiaries and workers must be administered with the highest degree of transparency and accountability."
The group demands the minister release all remaining inspection reports, audit documents, and payment receipts. They intend to use legal remedies under the RTI Act if the department continues to withhold information. The committee expects a positive response to ensure accountability for public funds.
Updated at 12th September 2026 at 9:51pm
The committee highlighted that the central government mandate for the Palna scheme requires separate accounts, formal statements of expenditure, and utilisation certificates. These records must remain open to audit and inspection, yet the department has failed to produce them. The DDCC emphasized that without these foundational documents, the public cannot verify if the scheme meets federal oversight standards.
Beyond formal legal threats under the RTI Act, the committee signaled it may turn to peaceful and democratic protests to force a response. They noted that the department’s provided communications regarding recruitment acknowledge that a district level selection committee should have handled hiring, yet the absence of meeting minutes and evaluation marks suggests that these established protocols were bypassed or ignored.
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